


The Ultimate Battle of Wits

by Gold_On_The_Ceiling_42



Series: Stiles Winchester [3]
Category: Supernatural, Teen Wolf (TV), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: BAMF Stiles, New Orleans, Stiles Stilinski is a Winchester, Stiles Winchester, TVD season 6, Teen Wolf Season 4, supernatural season 8
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 58,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5741494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gold_On_The_Ceiling_42/pseuds/Gold_On_The_Ceiling_42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a hunter and a friend to werewolves, Stiles Winchester has worked hard to manage his two very different lifestyles. All of that carefully crafted balance gets thrown out the window as he is kidnapped by a sociopath named Kai Parker and taken to New Orleans. Once there, Stiles, Kai, and Kol Mikaelson must struggle for their lives and their sanity as friends, foes and old faces descend on this epicenter of supernatural activity for a fight against an enemy that no one, not even Stiles, is prepared for: themselves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Communication Breakdown

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading! So this story is a sequel to the stories "Blood on my Name" and "Poisoned Youth." If those don't sound familiar, you should probably check them out. The premise is that Stiles is Sam and Dean's little half-brother. This story takes place right before Supernatural season 8, after Teen Wolf season 4, after 6.14 (the twin merge) in TVD season 6, and right in the middle of the Originals season 2 midseason finale. Naturally, there will be some changes, but I'll be sticking to canon as much as possible. A note for Originals fans: I stopped watching the show a few episodes after this one, so I know there are some things I'm screwing up horribly, and I apologize. The story does kind of go a little AU anyway. Enjoy!

Ch. 1

Communication Breakdown

It all started out so innocently. But then again, so do a lot of things. Stiles was in the police station on Saturday, dropping off some lunch for his dad, the only other person present, when a buzzing sound cut across the office, indicating someone was asking to be let in. Sheriff Stilinski hurried to the front desk and saw a young man standing at the door, hand on his forehead as he peered inside. The sheriff pushed the unlock button, and with a buzz and a click, the door unlocked. Stiles made it to the desk as the boy, 20ish, walked up to the desk with a look of confusion. He had on black skinny jeans and a grey 90’s style shirt with an intriguing red pattern, and cropped brown hair. He looked from Stiles to the Sheriff.

“Can I help you?” John Stilinski asked politely. The kid nodded several times.

“Yeah, Uh, I think I’m lost.” The kid admitted sheepishly. “I was just driving-” he jerked his thumb to a dashing blue Camaro parked outside the station, which looked a little familiar to Stiles, “-to Oregon. My family lives there, and I was away for a while. I don’t quite remember the way.”

“Well, you’re in northern California, son.” John said kindly.

“Yeah, I came from Virginia.” the guy said, clearly embarrassed by his predicament.

The sheriff typed some stuff into his computer.

“Long trip.” Stiles mused conversationally.

“Yeah,” the guy said absentmindedly, glancing at Stiles before leaning on his elbow as he waited for the sheriff to finish typing.

“Where in Oregon did you say you were heading, again, kid?” the Sheriff inquired. The kid told him, and the sheriff resumed typing.

The kid then began telling the sheriff how he got to beacon hills, John nodding at each useful input.

While they were talking, Stiles’ phone pinged. He took it out of his pocket discreetly and looked down. _Missed Call: Elena Gilbert._ Dammit. They had been radio silent for four months. What the hell was going on now?

Stiles shoved his phone back into his pocket, but not before his dad saw. John rolled his eyes before returning to the computer, and the kid shot him an inquisitive glance. Stiles put his phone on silent and back in his pocket.

“So,” Stiles said, clearing his throat, “you’re going to see your family?”

The kid looked at Stiles again. “Yeah.”

“Alright,” John said, “I’ve got a route figured out for you. Why don’t you follow me to the printer and I’ll show you.”

“Okay.” The kid said. As he walked behind the desk, he accidentally bumped into Stiles. “Sorry, man.”

“No trouble.”

When his father and the kid had rounded the corner, Stiles pulled out his phone again. There was one text from Scott...

_Hey, man, how’s your dad liking the new diet?_

_... and 8 missed calls._

_Missed Call: Elena Gilbert_

_Missed Call: Matt Donovan_

_Missed Call: Caroline Forbes_

_Missed Call: Stefan Salvatore_

_Missed Call: Alaric Saltzman_

_Missed Call: Jeremy Gilbert_

_Missed Call: Tyler Lockwood_

_Missed Call: Damon Salvatore_

Yeesh. Things must really be bad if _Damon_ was calling him. Stiles hadn’t gotten this many calls since the other side had collapsed, a few months prior. Then, nothing. They had called once every couple of weeks, to check in, and his phone had blown up only occasionally. When the Originals had rolled into town, when Elena had died in that car accident, the whole Silas debacle, and when Bonnie had died and then come back to life. That was then. So what was going on now?

A thump brought Stiles’ attention back to reality.

“Dad?” he shouted into the station. Silence. Stiles looked back down at his phone, but something caught his eye. A smudge of red in the middle of his green shirt. It rubbed off onto his fingers, and when he rubbed them together the smudge grew dry and rusty. Blood.

“Oh my god.” Stiles murmured. Where had the blood on his shirt come from? Stiles’ mind raced. No werewolf incidents, and he would have noticed this earlier-

Wait a minute. That kid had bumped into him, right where the red smudge was. The kid with the weird pattern of red on his shirt. Weird because it looked almost _wet_ -

“Oh my god!” Stiles exclaimed, louder this time. There was blood on that kid’s shirt. And he was now alone with his dad. That thump he just heard?

“Dad!” Stiles shouted, panicking. He ran into the station looking for his dad and the kid. He didn’t have to look very far, for after the first corner he rounded he saw his dad, lying unconscious on the floor, the kid standing over him, holding his taser.

Stiles came to a screeching halt. The kid, once he saw Stiles, grinned.

“Hey!” he said cheerfully, like tazing Stiles’ dad unconscious made his day.

“Y-you tased my dad.” Stiles mumbled.

The kid looked from the taser to the man on the floor with mild amusement. “But I didn’t tase the deputy!” He was further than an arm's reach from Stiles, but he managed to snatch the phone Stiles was holding anyways. He scrolled through the missed calls and whistled. “Man, you’ve got a lot of friends here, Stiles.” he said conversationally. “I gotta say, you left quite the impression. I mean-” he laughed, and it sent chills down Stiles’ spine- “Bonnie would not shut up about you! Stiles this and Stiles that, good God, it was torture!” Stiles’ blood ran cold at the mention of Bonnie. She was the only one who hadn’t called him Oh God, had this guy-

“You really should have answered these.” the guy finished. Then, he threw Stiles’ phone to the ground and stomped on it, breaking the screen, and probably the rest of it.

“What did you do to Bonnie?” Stiles barked. “How did you know where to find me?”

The guy rolled his eyes at Stiles’ demanding.

“Actually, better question. Who the hell are you?”

The guy brought his hand to his chest in mock astonishment. “Gasp! Where are my manners? I’m Kai.” he finished with a wicked grin.

“Stiles.” he replied with biting sarcasm. “But I guess you kind of knew that already, didn’t you?”

Kai grinned again in an almost predatory way. “I did. And don’t worry, Bonnie’s fine. I think.”

“What the hell do you want with me, Kai?” Stiles asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the sheriff twitch, slowly regaining consciousness.

“I told you, Stiles, I was just passing through. Call me curious.” The amusement never seemed to leave Kai’s expression.

“And the blood?” Stiles asked hesitantly.

Kai looked down at his shirt, as if noticing the blood for the first time. “Oh. Huh. Must’ve been the guy who tried to tow my car.” He was way too nonchalant.

“That looks like Damon’s car.” Stiles said with a pained expression.

“Yep!” Kai exclaimed cheerfully. “Let’s call it revenge for him killing me at least twice.”

Stiles did a double take. “What the hell are you?”

Kai shot Stiles a sarcastic glare. “A witch. Isn’t it obvious?” Stiles balked. “But,” Kai continued with a sigh as he started to drag the sheriff’s body into his office, “technically an abomination. I’m the leader of the Gemini coven, if that means anything to you.”

“It doesn’t.” Stiles said cooly.

Kai shrugged off Stiles’ anger and handcuffed the sheriff to his desk before lightly stepping out of the office . “Now we can talk. But first-” he took out his own phone from his jean pocket, albeit with some difficulty, dialed a number, and handed it to Stiles. “I need to tie up some loose ends.” Stiles hesitated as he reached for the phone, leaving Kai to shove it into his hands.

“What’s going on?” Stiles asked calmly as the phone rang, afraid to make a move lest Kai hurt his dad.

“I’m kidnapping you.” Kai said nonchalantly as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He was no longer smiling, merely staring at the floor blankly, and Stiles was beginning to get a read of him. There was almost nothing. No anger when he threatened Stiles, no feeling, only humor. The most emotion he showed was the mentioning of Bonnie and Damon, and even that had been sick fascination. _Oh my god, this guy’s a psychopath. And a witch. You’ve really outdone yourself this time Stiles._

The phone stopped ringing, and a voice spoke. “Hello?”

“Damon?” Stiles exclaimed with disbelief. Of all the people to call...

“Kai you psychopathic son of a bitch, I swear when I find you I’ll make you wish you were still in that hellhole...”

“Damon!” Stiles interrupted. “It’s me! Stiles!” _Jeez, how bad is this guy? To have Damon of all people..._

“Stiles?” Damon asked in disbelief. “Why are you on Kai’s phone?”

“Why do you have him as a contact?” Stiles retorted. Kai gave a small chuckle at that.

“Nevermind! What the hell happened? And please tell me you pulled this from Kai’s cold, dead hands.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” Stiles spat. “And I guess Beacon Hills is on the way to Oregon.” Damon swore loudly. “He’s on his way to the coven.”

“Damon, you mind explaining what the hell is going on?” Stiles asked, a fine edge of panic in his voice. When Kai heard it, his grin widened.

“Well if you’re with Kai now, my condolences, Stiles. Basically, he’s a psychopath-”

“Wow, never would have guessed.” Stiles retorted.

“-who’s part of this coven in Oregon. They do this twin merge, and the winner becomes all powerful-”

“Twin merge?” Stiles interrupted.

“Yeah.” Damon answered. “Well meet the winner. Kai Parker, killer of his entire family, leader of the most fucked up coven in history.”

Stiles stared at Kai in horror.

“At your service.” Kai said with a bow.

“Stiles-” Damon began in an almost apologetic tone, but he was cut off, by someone in the background.

“ _Damon, what the hell are you doing?”_

“Easy, Liv.” Damon seemed to say over the shoulder. “Hey! Augh!” There were struggling noises over the phone, until finally a new voice broke through.

“Kai you son of a bitch, I’m going to find you and make you pay for what you did to my brother.I’m going to make 20 years of 1994 look like childs play!” This must be Liv.

 _My sister_. Kai mouthed.

“Uh...” Stiles said into the phone. There were more grappling noises, and Damon’s voice came back on.

“Stiles, do whatever you can to get away from him!” Stiles was about to respond, when Kai wrenched the phone from his hands.

“Listen here, Damon.” Kai said coolly into the phone, rubbing his chin with his other hand. “You come after Stiles, and he dies.”

“You wouldn’t dare kill the Winchesters’ little brother. Not unless you were incredibly stupid.” Damon said steelily, but without conviction. It was a hail Mary and everyone knew. it.

Kai laughed mirthlessly. “That’s the thing about getting out of jail, Damon. I have no clue who the Winchesters are!” Stiles counted that as a blessing and a curse. “Same ultimatum. Follow him and he dies. Oh,” he added, as an afterthought. “Let me know if Bonnie gets out. Later!” He ended the call on a bone-chilling high note. “Now,” he said to Stiles, who had taken a defensive stance. “Where were we?”

 

Scott knew something was wrong when twenty minutes had passed, and Stiles still hadn’t come back to the loft. He had ducked out, saying he had to get the sheriff’s lunch, and taken the usual we-live-in-a-supernatural-beacon-so-call-if-I’m-not-back-in-thirty-minutes precaution. Twenty minutes had come and gone, so Scott texted Stiles. Thirty minutes passed, so he called.

 _Hey, it’s Stiles, leave your name, number and nightmare at the tone._ Scott smiled at the voicemail Stiles had ripped off from his older brother. He tried again.

_Hey, it’s Stiles, leave your name, number and nightmare at the tone._

“He’s not answering?” Derek asked from his perch.

“No.” Scott replied.

“He probably got held up with his dad.” Lydia said easily as she twirled her orange hair around her finger.

“Yeah, maybe.” Scott mumbled. “Let me try one more time.”

_We’re sorry, the number you reached is no longer available._

Scott jumped up in alarm. “Guys, listen to this.” He dialed Stiles’ phone again and put it on speaker. Lydia and Derek listened to the voicemail with rapt ears. “What does this mean?” Scott asked his friends.

Lydia sighed and smoothened her light blue dress. “His voicemail went to default, meaning his phone is broken.”

“Or someone broke it for him.” Derek interjected. “Knowing Stiles, probably the latter.”

“I’m sure it’s no big deal.” Lydia assured, but an ominous presence hung in the air. It had been too quiet, for too long, and everyone knew it.

“If this turns out to be something unpleasant,” Scott began hesitantly, “should we call Sam and Dean? They were pretty helpful about the whole nogitsune thing.”

“No, remember what Stiles said.” Lydia interjected. “Dean’s missing and Sam can’t be reached.”

“Scott, go.” Derek said, surprisingly calm. “I’ll call Malia, Liam, Deputy Parrish, and Kira. Even if it’s nothing, we need to have a pack meeting anyway.”

Scott nodded and ran out of the loft. He jumped on his green bike and sped away to the station.

“Call Deaton, too.” Lydia told Derek.

 

Scott knew something was wrong when he pulled into the station. The only car there except for the sheriff’s and Stiles’ blue jeep was a blue Camaro he didn’t recognize. The sheriff had been making cutbacks, sure- sending all the officers home on Saturdays- but there was something about the place that seemed empty. It was as he dismounted his bike that Scott noticed the trail of ruby red beads heading from the Camaro to the front door. He panicked, and ran for the doors, only to bounce off of them. They were locked. With a roar of frustration, Scott let the claws come out of his hands and his eyes glow red. He kicked the door apart and retracted his claws before racing in. The blood trail went past the desk, down the hallway. Scott rounded the corner hurriedly and ran smack into a fairly strange sight. Stiles had his back to Scott, and seemed to be staring down a young man with short brown hair, wearing a wicked grin. He locked eyes with Scott and his grin only grew wider.

“Heya, Scotty.” Stiles said without turning around. Then, to the stranger, “you were right.”

_“Where were we?” Kai said. “Although, not much point. Something tells me one of your friends is going to round the corner any second now.”_

“Hm...” the stranger said to Scott. “Glowing red eyes. You must be the alpha.”

“What do you want?” Scott snarled, ready to pounce. His eyes flared and his claws unsheathed, and yet despite all that, the stranger kept that stupid grin on his face. It was unnerving.

Stiles finally turned around. “Hey man,” he said in a calming tone, with his hands raised, “chill, alright. It’s alright, I’m alright.”

“Stiles, what the hell is going on?” Scott asked with trepidation.

“I’d like to know that myself.” Stiles said sardonically with a glare at the stranger. “Since I’m apparently being kidnapped.”

“I have an idea!” The stranger said. “Let’s talk about this outside. I think the sheriff is rousing.”

“And why would we do that?” Stiles asked, rolling his eyes.

The stranger smiled, and flexed his hand. All of the sudden, Scott’s head felt like it was on fire, like every vein in his head was bursting simultaneously.

“Augh!” Scott cried out, covering his ears with his hands and dropping to his knees.

“What the hell did you do Kai?” Stiles exclaimed, rushing to Scott’s side.

“Perks of being a witch.” Kai replied. He flexed his hand again, and Scott’s head returned to normal. “So, outside?”

“Whatever.” Stiles mumbled. He put Scott’s arm around his shoulder and hoisted up the still-twitching werewolf. Together they walked around the corner, past the desk, and out the door. Well, Stiles and Kai walked out the door. Scott hit an invisible wall, and fell to the floor from the loss of Stiles’ support.

“Stiles?” Scott asked. He put his hand against the doorway, but when he tried to go through, it bounced back. Stiles whirled on Kai.

“What the hell did you do?”

“That,” Kai said with a smile, “is a little trick your friends in Mystic Falls are _very_ familiar with. It confines any supernatural being to the room. It’s kind of like mountain ash, except you can’t leave till I say so.” The smile dropped from his face, and without the bubbly persona Stiles and Scott could see how cold he really was. “This is an ultimatum, Stiles. Either you come quietly or Scotty here will be trapped, as well as all your other friends. Except maybe Lydia. Mountain ash doesn’t work for banshees, so...” Kai trailed off, looking thoughtful, and Scott looked horrified. It was this that set Stiles over the edge. He clenched his fists angrily.

“Fine.” he said through gritted teeth.

“I’m sorry?” Kai said with mock confusion. He cocked his head to the side. “What was that?”

“I’ll go with you.” Stiles choked out. “Just don’t hurt Scott. Or any of them.”

Kai’s grin broadened. “Excellent!” he said. He clapped his hands together. “C’mon!” He began to walk to Damon’s stolen car. Stiles was hesitant to follow, and Scott lept on the opportunity.

“Stiles!” he pleaded, “Don’t do this!”

Stiles turned around to look at his trapped friend. “I’m sorry. I have too. Scott, we have no idea what this guy is capable of.”

By the car, Kai tapped his foot impatiently.

“Scott, don’t follow me. I’ll be fine. I promise.” Stiles said with an air of finality. He turned his back on his best friend, and trudged over to the waiting car.

“After you.” Kai said with an exaggerated gesture towards the blue Camaro. Stiles rolled his eyes but complied.

“Let’s just get this over with. Whatever the hell _this_ is.”

As the car peeled out of the parking lot, Scott watched with mournful eyes. Once it was out of sight, he tested the barrier. It was gone. He took one step out the door, then another, then another, until he was on the pavement when he collapsed on the ground in a heap of confusion and desperation.


	2. Kai-napped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two. The crossover with The Originals starts, and things pick up. Enjoy!

Ch. 2

Kai-napped

“Really? Can’t you just say _kidnapped_ like a normal person?” Stiles asked with exasperation. Two seconds in, and Kai had to make a pun about the current situation. That being said, it reminded Stiles eerily of himself. How many times had he been the wisecracking idiot? And when he was possesed, well... the nogitsune had certainly used his sharp tongue. After his possession it had become more and more easier to hide behind biting words than say what was really on his mind.

“Well I suppose technically it isn’t kidnapping.” Kai said thoughtfully, ignoring Stiles’ comment.

“Then what?” Stiles ground out. Kai drove the Camaro with the top down, making it hard to be heard.

“I told you I was on my way to the coven.” Kai began. “Damon confirmed it, though he did hurt my feelings,” Stiles shot him a glare and Kai chuckled. “And, well, I’m not exactly on the best terms with them. They aren’t going to jump to my leadership. So, I figured I needed more persuasion.”

“What, so you’re taking me to Oregon?” Stiles asked exasperatedly.

“No! Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not exactly the cavalry.” Kai replied. “Look, I may have been out of commision for twenty years- I’ll explain that later- but I know what Bonnie and Damon said. I know where to find _real_ power.”

“Where?” Stiles couldn’t help but ask.

Kai smiled.

“New Orleans.”

 

“Scott! Scott! Slow down!” Derek said, a hair away from slapping the alpha. “Calm down!”

“I am calm!” Scott said, pacing back and forth in the loft hurriedly. “And I’m telling you, Stiles drove off with the psychopath.”

“Psychopath or sociopath? There’s a difference.” Lydia mused.

Scott gripped his hair in frustration. “I don’t know!” he exclaimed. “Does it matter?”

Lydia rolled her eyes as if to say _it does_ , but wisely kept her mouth shut.

“Look,” Derek said, always the voice of surly reason. “We can’t go after this guy. We have no idea where he’s headed, and we can’t endanger Stiles like that. We should just wait for him to contact us.” Scott shot him a pleading look. Derek ignored it. “Stiles can take care of himself.” he finished.

Suddenly, Lydia’s phone rang shrilly. She took it out of her purse, and everyone waited with bated breath as she looked at the caller id. “Virginia area code.” she muttered. “What the hell?”

 

“What’s in New Orleans?” Stiles casually asked his captor, like he didn’t already know.

“Not sure.” Kai replied. “I have more of a vague idea, but it’s enough for Bonnie and Damon to go on and on and on about.” He used hand gestures as he talked, even while driving, and that made Stiles a little nervous.

_What the hell does Kai want with the Originals?_ Stiles thought. _Wait, scratch that. What the hell does he want with me? And why does he keep talking about Bonnie and Damon?_ The three of them seemed like an unlikely trio, to say the least.

“What the hell is going on here Kai?” Stiles asked bluntly. “Who are you, _really_? What was that your sister said about 1994? How do you know Bonnie, or Damon, or any of them? Why are we going to New Orleans, why did you kidnap me, and why the hell is everyone so scared of you?” As Stiles finished with his questions, Kai’s eyes glinted strangely.

“What, it’s not enough that I’m a sociopathic killer who murdered most of his family in cold blood?” Kai drawled.

“Nope.” Stiles replied, sounding more brave than he felt. “Sorry. I’ve met those before.”

Kai grinned darkly. “Long story short,” he drawled, “I killed my whole family because they didn’t want me to rule the coven. This was in 1994.” Stiles did a double take, and Kai sped up the car with a laugh. “They imprisoned me, some kind of time stasis, for 20 years. It would have been forever, but then Damon and Bonnie pop up and I use their magic to get home. Bonnie’s still there, though. Shame.” Stiles looked at Kai with horror. “My little siblings, the only ones of my family to survive except for my twin sister, were in town, so I killed one of them to perform a ritual to make me the coven leader. Now, naturally, this might make the coven a little hesitant to accept me. So-”

“-you’re going to New Orleans to build an army.” Stiles finished.

“Bingo!” Kai exclaimed cheerfully.Stiles put his head in his hands.

“You’re a psycho.” he murmured.

 

Lydia answered the phone. “Hello?”

The voice at the other end was entitled and impatient. “Yeah, hi. My name’s Damon. I’m a vampire. You might know my friend, Stiles...” Lydia promptly put him on speaker.

“What do you want with Stiles?” Derek growled to the mystery speaker.

“So glad you asked nicely.” Damon replied. “I just got off the phone with him.” The whole room stiffened at the revelation. “Now it wasn’t exactly your regular call. He was kidnapped by our friendly neighborhood psychopath Kai. Problem is, I have no idea why.”

“ _Friendly neighborhood psychopath_?” Lydia asked incredulously. “You know this guy?”

“Yeah.” Damon replied a bit regretfully. “Don’t worry. He said he’d only hurt Stiles if we go after him.”

“So what are we going to do?” Scott panicked into the phone.

“Go after him, of course.”

Scott, Derek, and Lydia whirled around to see a guy with dark hair leaning against the metal doorframe of the loft, in a grey tee shirt, jeans, and a slightly sheepish smile.

Derek moved forward to attack, eyes glowing, but Scott held him back. “Damon?” he asked tentatively.

The guy nodded. “Damon Salvatore, at your service.”

“How the hell-” Lydia began.

“Vampires run fast.” Damon said with a casual wave of his hand. “I was already on my way.”

“And how do you know Stiles?” Lydia asked tentatively.

“Oh, didn’t I say? I’m from Mystic Falls.” Damon revealed dramatically.

Derek rolled his eyes at said dramatics.

“Okay,” Scott began, “you said you know this guy, Kai, or whatever. What is he, and how do we stop him?”

“Also, can we expect any more of you coming?” Lydia peppered.

“He’s a dangerous witch who killed almost his entire family. I don’t know what he wants with Stiles but it’s probably bad. As for anyone else coming...” Damon said regretfully, “Kai’s sister, Liv, heard our little chat. She’s probably on her way here now, with who knows who else.”

“Back up is good.” Scott said. “Especially someone who knows him well. Why aren’t you happy about this.”

Damon groaned. “It’s complicated. Liv just lost her other brother. She isn’t thinking straight. She’s dangerous. Anyone she brings with her is only thinking of revenge for Bonnie, and no one knows Kai like I do. I only spent a few weeks with him but I got a gauge on the crazy.”

“Revenge for Bonnie?” Lydia asked. “She’s dead?”

“Like I said, it’s complicated.”

Just then, Kira and Liam walked in. “What’s going on?” Kira asked, looking at Damon confusedly.

“It’s complicated.” Derek said.

 

“I’m a _sociopath_. There’s a difference, Stiles.” Kai said. “Anyways, save your breath. We have a _long_ drive.”

“You are not seriously planning on driving across 1/3 of the country in 1 day?” Stiles asked reproachfully.

“I’ve been in prison for 20 years, Stiles.” Kai said evenly. “I haven’t done anything exciting in about that long, and I can so go 24 hours without sleeping. So sit back.”

Stiles was about to reply, but Kai hit the radio, cutting him off. Suddenly, Taylor Swift assaulted Stiles’ eardrums.

“Really?” he asked Kai with a reproachful look.

“Not all sociopaths listen to Swedish death metal.” Kai replied.

 

Lydia, Scott, Derek, Liam, and Kira just stared as Damon sat on a chair in deep thought.

“I’m sorry, what is he doing, again?” Liam asked.

“Well, I was _trying_ to focus, wolfy.” Damon snapped. “Kai knew about Stiles, which means he heard Bonnie and me talking about Stiles. If I can pinpoint where in 4 months this happened, I might have an idea of where he’s headed.”

“Oh.” Liam said simply.

“Scott, you forgot to call Malia.” Lydia chided.

 

“Aaaaand, there goes Colorado.” Stiles commented. “Dude, are you using magic or something?”

Kai grinned.

 

“When I find that little witch-” Malia growled.

“Malia, calm down.” Kira said.

“She’s right.” Scott added. “According to Damon, this guy has enough magic to rip you to pieces.”

“Wait, I thought you and Stiles broke up.” Liam said tactfully. Five heads whirled around to face him.

“Liam-” Derek warned.

“We were on a break!” Malia screamed shrilly.

“Scott, you also forgot Parrish.” Lydia noted.

“Anyone else?” Scott asked exasperatedly.

“Well the sheriff is probably still locked in his office, now that you mention it.”

 

“We are halfway through Louisiana.” Stiles muttered, looking at the map Kai had stashed in the backseat. “Seriously what the hell?”

“A little trick my dad taught Josette and I.” Kai shouted over the wind. “Look at the speedometer.” Stiles did, and saw that the needle was at the very end of the gauge, meaning they were going faster than the car could record. “We are going about 300 miles per hour.” Kai said. “Safe, and-” he laughed as they sped past a police car lying in wait “-undetectable.”

 

“You’re telling me that my son willingly walked away with a psychopath over 5 hours ago?” The sheriff asked a group of guilty looking werewolves (and banshee, coyote and kitsune.) The kids and Derek nodded their heads, while Parrish stood at the sheriff’s side. “So what’s he doing?” John Stilinski asked, pointing to Damon, who was sitting in a chair, muttering to himself.

“Oh, he’s going through every conversation he had for four months in a prison world of 1994.” Scott replied. The sheriff blinked slowly a few times before raising his hands in an ‘I don’t even want to know’ gesture.

“Just as long as he doesn’t kill one of you.” John finished, muttering to himself about Winchesters and their vampires.

Night was about to fall, when suddenly Damon snapped up from his reclining position. “That’s it!”

_“It’s too bad we don’t have cell reception.” Bonnie mused as she ate pancakes on the morning of their third month of imprisonment. “We could call Stiles.”_

_“I don’t think even Stiles could figure this out.” Damon replied, spraying whipped cream fangs on his pancakes. “Plus, we haven’t seen him in a while.”_

_“He almost came down during the Original debacle.” Bonnie said defensively._

_“Yeah, but he didn’t. He was dealing with a ‘Darach’ or whatever, anyways he finally got the memo that they couldn’t be killed.”_

_“Hey, the most kick-ass teenage hunter in the world could have totally taken them.” Bonnie said. “I mean, Beacon Hills, California makes Mystic Falls look like childs play. Especially since the Originals moved to New Orleans.”_

_“Why did they do that, again?” Damon asked._

_“No idea.” Bonnie replied, taking a deep swig of bourbon. “But we’re going next.”_

_“Hey,” Damon said gently, putting his hand on top of hers and taking away her glass. “Don’t talk like that. It isn’t quite time to break into that bottle of Scotch.”_

_Bonnie smiled weakly at the mention of their pact._

Damon opened his eyes. “New Orleans.” he said hoarsely, eyes shining, remembering how close Bonnie had come to fulfilling that pact. “Kai’s headed to New Orleans.”

 

“Welcome to New Orleans.” Kai said with a flourish as he and Stiles passed a sign indicating the city limits. “Population plus two.”

“And minus how many?” Stiles asked sharply. He had been tense the whole drive, what with Kai’s veiled threats to throw him out of the car lest he try anything, and the distracted driving he did on purpose simply to psyche Stiles out. It had certainly worked.

“None at the moment.” Kai replied easily, unfazed by Stiles’ harsh tones. A purple hue of sunset still lingered in the sky, but as Stiles and Kai approached the latin quarter lights flickered on in their wake, almost like a homecoming. Kai found a parking spot for Damon’s Camaro with ease, and he opened the car door and stretched his legs for the first time in over 8 hours. Stiles followed suit, and stumbled out of the car. He hadn’t realized how stiff his legs were, and he certainly couldn’t run away, much less stand coherently. Kai let out a groan and popped several joints before moving over to the trunk. He opened it, and Stiles winced, expecting to see some type of body, but instead there were two duffel bags.

“Here.” Kai said, throwing the dark grey one to Stiles, while he shouldered one that was army green. “I might have robbed your house on the way to the station.” He smirked. At this point, Stiles wasn’t even surprised.

“Whatever.” Stiles muttered. Kai closed the trunk with a dull thud, and the two turned around to face an incredible scene.

They were adjacent to a narrow street, with black balconies snaking around the second floor of each building. Lights slithered around the balconies and hung in between as well, and white flower petals hung suspended in the air. In front of them was what appeared to be a wedding procession. A couple, beautiful brown haired woman in a white dress, and a bearded man in a tux, were twirling and laughing, followed by a large crowd of laughing admirers. Stiles and Kai hastily skirted to the edge of the street, to amazed to do anything but get out of the couple’s way. A blonde woman in the procession glanced at Stiles and Kai strangely as she passed, and it reminded Stiles that Kai still had blood on his shirt.

“Dude!” Stiles snapped at Kai. “You still look like you massacred someone!”

Kai glanced down at his clothes for a minute before looking at Stiles again. “But I did.”

Stiles facepalmed. “I know, but just-just get rid of it!”

Kai sighed and snapped his fingers, covering the blood in a glamour. “Better?” he asked in a condescending tone.

Stiles was about to retort when he looked across the street and lost his voice. There was a man in a suit with short light brown hair standing in a balcony of one of the buildings, staring at them with uncertainty and fury. That was odd, but it wasn’t what caught Stiles’ eye. It was below the balcony and to the left, the corner of the street, washed in the red light of nightlife. Leaning against the street, looking half dead and taking shuddering breaths, was-

“-Isaac.” Stiles breathed.

“What?” Kai asked, but Stiles didn’t hear. He ran across the street, right through the back of the procession, bumping into a girl in a pink suit. He mumbled an apology but kept going, Kai hot on his heels, the man in the balcony surely following his path.

“Isaac!” Stiles exclaimed once he finally reached his friend.

 

“Look over there, brother.” Klaus drawled, pointing to the two boys on the opposite end of the street.

“Do not change the subject, Niklaus.” Elijah chided. “I don’t want you harming Jackson-”

Klaus rolled his eyes. “Don’t bother, brother. No, see, that one,” he pointed to the one in the black blazer, “had blood on his shirt, I could smell it from here. Then he waved his hand and it was gone. Not just the appearance, the scent too. If it’s a cloaking spell, it’s very powerful.”

Your point?” Elijah asked impatiently.

“My point is that this is a witch, a powerful one. We should watch him.”

 

“Stiles.” Isaac groaned, but something was off with his voice. There was a ton of stress in it, as if his chest were being crushed. He collapsed, and Stiles caught him and helped him to the ground. He looked at his friend. There was blood on the front of his shirt, like he had been hemorrhaging, and his skin was tinged grey and purple, but other than that, Stiles couldn’t find anything wrong with him.

“It’s witch magic.” Kai said next to him, and Stiles hated him he didn’t hear him coming. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Kai said seriously.

There was the click clack of high heels on concrete, and suddenly the girl in the pink suit was at Stiles’ side. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked breathlessly. She was young, probably the same age as Isaac and Stiles.

“I can heal him.” Kai said confidently. Isaac coughed deeply. “Possibly.”

“No.” The girl in the pink suit said, shaking her head. “Magic won’t work, I’ve tried.” Stiles and Kai stared at her. “Well of course you’re a witch!” The girl snapped, seeing her slip up. “It’s New Orleans!”

“We should move him.” Stiles stated. Just then, Isaac raised his head.

“Well, aren’t you a sight?” he rasped to the girl, and Stiles pinpointed what sounded off about his voice. It had a thick northern British accent.

“Kol,” the girl said sweetly. “It’s alright. You’re going to be alright.” Stiles and Kai locked eyes. _Kol?_ They seemed to ask each other.

“Well I’m glad one of us thinks so, Davina.” Isaac said to the girl.

“She’s right.” Stiles said. “Help me get him up.” he instructed Kai and Davina. With a few groans of pain from Isaac, Stiles, Kai, and Davina soon had him standing, leaning on Kai and Stiles for support.

“Oof!” Stiles exclaimed. Isaac was heavy. “Where should we take him?” he asked Davina.

“To the cemetery.” Davina said cooly. “I might be able to work a spell there.” Although she looked calm, tears had begun collecting in her eyes.

“Alright,” Stiles said, resigned to the oddness of the situation. “Let’s go.”


	3. Let Us In, Let Us Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three! I'd like to remind everyone that in this universe, Sheriff Stilinski's name is John. Also, the Jackson in the story refers to the Originals character (who coincidentally is also a werewolf) not the Teen Wolf guy. Sorry for the confusion.

Ch. 3

Let Us In, Let Us Out

“Okay,” Derek said to Damon, “Why are they in New Orleans?”

“Probably because of the Originals.” Damon said thoughtfully. “Super old, super powerful vampires. Kai probably wants something from them.”

“Alright, so let’s go!” Kira said cheerfully.

“Woah, woah, woah.” Scott said. “We can’t all go!”

“Why not?” Malia asked.

“Because this guy is dangerous!” Scott said. “We have no idea what he’s capable of!”

“I’m with Scott on this one.” John said. “We can’t walk in blind.”

“This is ridiculous.” Malia grumbled. She turned on her heel and stomped out the door. Well, she tried. She bounced back from the doorway, as if an invisible force were holding her in.

“Uh on.” Damon said.

 

“Alright.” Stiles said faintly as he and Kai set Isaac down inside a creepy looking crypt, “Someone want to explain what the hell is going on?”

“I’m going to call his sister.” Davina said urgently, pulling her phone out from her pink jacket.

Stiles did a double take. “Sister?” No. No, Isaac’s whole family was dead. He wasn’t even supposed to be here, he was supposed to be with Chris in France-

-but Chris had come back to Beacon Hills, and Isaac hadn’t. What had happened?

Davina left to make the call, and Stiles moved over to Isaac’s side. He really did look terrible. He had maybe an hour before he kicked the bucket.

“Stiles.” Isaac rasped in that weird accent of his. “Stiles, I’m not who you think I am.”

“You mean you’re not Isaac.” Stiles said. Isaac-or not Isaac-looked startled at his bluntness but nodded. Kai watched the two intently.

“Kol.” Not-Isaac choked out haggardly. “My name’s Kol. I’m a witch.”

“Kol as in Kol... Michaelson?” Stiles asked reproachfully. _No way. Not a chance._

Kol nodded again. “I suppose if anyone were to guess that on the first try it’d be you.”

“You’re a vampire.” Stiles said as Davina re-entered and sat down next to him “A super immortal one. Who isn’t supposed to look like a werewolf I know.” Davina jerked her hand away in shock at the mention of werewolves.

“I _was_ a super immortal vampire.” Kol corrected. “Till the Gilberts killed me. My mother, Esther, I assume you know about her,” Stiles nodded, Kai too, “resurrected me. Put my mortal soul into the body of a witch, did the same for my brother, Finn.” Kol wheezed as he finished his sentence, and coughed some more.

“Look, can you save him or not?” Stiles snapped at Kai and Davina.

“I’ve tried everything.” Davina said with a small sob. “Hexes are irreversible.”

“For you, maybe.” Kai said. He leaned forward, studying Kol methodically. Suddenly he lashed out, grabbing Davina’s hand. She gasped as she felt the magic leaving her veins, and Kai grinned. He let go with a satisfied smirk.

“What the hell was that?” Davina asked, rubbing her wrist.

“A little trick of mine.” Kai said. Stiles looked grim, having been filled in on Kai’s ‘abilities’ on the road trip. “Glad to see I can still do it after the merge. Don’t worry, your magic will replenish itself.” He turned to Kol, his smile dropping to a look of concentration. Very gingerly, he placed his hand on Kol’s chest. His brow furrowed.

“I can feel it.” he murmured. He held out his other hand to Davina, who regarded it suspiciously. “C’mon, I need some help. I won’t suck your magic again.” Davina hesitated, but tentatively placed her hand into Kai’s outstretched palm. Kai began chanting, and Davina followed suit.

_“Spiritus immunde, et ecclesia secta diabolica...”_

“That sounds like an exorcism.” Stiles murmured.

Kai stopped chanting while Davina continued. “This hex is demonic magic. Whoever did this to Kol is channeling something very dark.”

Kai resumed chanting, and soon Kol began to convulse. He coughed louder and more frequently, until he was gasping for breath.

“ _Spiritus immunde, et ecclesia secta diabolica...”_

“Stop!” he gasped. “You’re killing me!” Kai and Davina ignored him, chanting louder and faster.

_“Spiritus immunde, et ecclesia secta diabolica...”_

“Augh!” Kol screamed at the top of his lungs. Both Stiles and Davina flinched at the sound, but Kia, eyes closed, made no movement.

_“Spiritus immunde, et ecclesia secta diabolica...”_

Kol’s breaths got shorter and shorter as his chest rose rapidly, barely getting enough oxygen to funcion.

“ _Spiritus immunde, et ecclesia secta diabolica...”_

Finally, Kol took a last shuddering breath and collapsed, lying still.

 

“Liv.” Damon said grimly as the blond witch sauntered up to the open loft doorway. “How nice to see you.”

“Likewise.” Liv said. It certainly didn’t seem so. She was, to put it nicely, a wreck. Her hair, maybe once kept in bouncy curls, was greasy and messy. Her red eyes had deep purple bags underneath them, and remnants of streaked mascara. Her simple v-neck and jeans were rumpled, her sneakers untied, her nails bitten, and her body on the verge of collapse. Yet still she glared at Damon haughtily.

Everyone tensed, not really sure what to do.

Then the sheriff pulled out his gun.

 

Kai and Davina stopped chanting, and they and Stiles looked at Kol with apprehension. Well, Davina and Stiles with apprehension, Kai with a more sick fascination. Davina tenderly felt Kol’s neck for a pulse. Tears pooled in her eyes and she began sobbing.

“He’s- he’s alive.”

Stiles quickly fumbled for Kol’s wrist. He felt it, a faint flicker of life. He collapsed in relief.

Suddenly, the doors to the crypt burst open, and two tall white men and one small black girl with wild hair ran in. Stiles recognized one of the men from the street. They took in the scene quickly, eyes narrowing when they saw Kol’s body.

“What the blazes did you do to my brother?” The girl shrieked with a British accent. She started towards Stiles angrily, but Davina lept up and held her back.

“Rebekah, it’s okay! He’s alive!” Davina said joyfully.

“I should bloody well hope so!” Rebekah said shrilly.

The two men rushed to Kol’s side, and Stiles and Kai quickly backed away to the entrance of the tomb.

“Well, you wanted to meet the Originals.” Stiles muttered to Kai. “Here they are.” The taller man quickly snapped his head around to Stiles and Kai, but then just as quickly returned his attention to Kol. _Damn Vampire hearing_. Stiles thought to himself.

“What the hell happened to him?” The shorter man demanded.

“He was hexed!” Davina said, flustered. “He was dying-”

“I know that! I mean why is he unconscious instead of spewing his guts on the floor!”

“Klaus!” Rebekah chided. “Quiet!”

Stiles and Kai looked at each other. So this was the infamous Klaus Mikaelson.

Suddenly, Kol gasped deeply, and bolted upright. He looked around quickly, and his eyes glowed yellow. They searched the crypt frantically, before landing on Stiles.

“Stiles!” Isaac gasped. “Oh my god, Stiles!” The Originals whirled around to where Kai and Stiles stood at the crypt doors. “Stiles!” Isaac said again, “You have to tell Scott-” he stopped talking then, and his eyes stopped glowing. It was like a wall went up, turning Isaac’s kind face into a whole other person.

“-you have to tell Scott that I’m okay.” Kol finished, in that unnerving accent of his. “That’s what he was going to say. I’m sorry.”

Kol shifted his attention back to his siblings and girlfriend, who were all staring at him open-mouthed.

The tall one, Elijah, tilted his head to the side with an inquisitive look, before speaking. “Kol, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Kol sputtered. “Great, actually, since all I ever wanted was for you lot to give a damn. I guess that when you’re a hair away from death your body thinks twice about who it belongs too.”

“You mean your body’s former occupant tried to take over?” Rebekah asked. “That’s impossible.”

“I guess not.” Kol replied. “Plus, it’s not like we know a whole ton about this, is it? He didn’t try to take over, either, it just kind of happened.” Kol gazed up at his relatives, waiting for their rebuttal.

“And your past occupant was a werewolf?” Klaus said with a crooked grin. “My, how ironic.”

“I think that fellow over there is the best person to explain all of this.” Kol said, nodding to Stiles. Once again, the Originals turned to face him, only this time it was to egg him forward.

Stiles gave a slight nod to Kai, who nodded, and began chanting almost undetectably, locking down the crypt. Stiles gulped, then very tentatively took a step towards the Original siblings. Davina edged out of the way to make room for Stiles, and stood by Kai. She could sense the spell around the doorway, but said nothing.

Stiles took several steps forward and bent down, until he was less than an arms reach away from Kol. He looked into the decidedly not-yellow eyes, before turning his head back towards Kol’s siblings.

“What are these?” he asked, indicating several ligature marks around Kol’s neck.

Klaus mumbled something about mind reading and a dagger.

Stiles reached to examine the marks, before very swiftly removing his silver knife from his sleeve and pressing it against Kol’s throat.

“Now, nobody move.” Stiles said.

 

“You heard me, don’t move.” John said to Liv.

“You guys are the ones who can’t move.” Liv said, not batting an eye at the weapon.

“You sure about that?” Sheriff Stilinski said as he marched up to the barrier, until he was right in front of it. Liv backed up instinctively. “Because I’m human, and so’s my boy.”

“You’re fast.” Liv sneered. “I bet I’m faster.” She turned and bolted.

 

“Nik, don’t.” Kol cautioned, seeing the fury in his brother’s expression. “You’re fast, I bet he’s faster.”

“I’d rather not slit his throat,” Stiles said, almost apologetically, “but I will.”

_Stiles staggered as he and Kai carried Isaac through the streets, weaving through onlookers and townspeople alike, while Davina trailed mournfully behind them._

_“What’s your plan here, Stiles?” Kai asked coolly, clearly resenting their predicament._

_“Save my friend.” Stiles replied gruffly. “What’s yours?”_

_“Meet the Originals.” Kai said._

_“How the hell are you going to make nice with vicious vampires?”_

_Kai smirked. “All we need to do is get them in a room, or closed space. That spell I used on Scott should serve us well. The rest is up to me._

_“If I help you, after we save Isaac, I get to go home, right?” Stiles asked._

_Kai nodded._

Very slowly, and keeping the knife to his throat, Stiles helped Kol stand up and guided him out of the crypt while the Originals watched with apprehension. Kol locked eyes with Stiles and was surprised to see him looking almost apologetic.

They were almost to the crypt doors when Klaus spoke.

“You wouldn’t dare kill my brother.”

Stiles turned, slowly, and put his knife that much closer to Kol’s throat. “Wouldn’t be my first kill.”

Klaus balked at that, this 17-year-old boy professing to murder. He made no more protests, and Stiles and Kol left the crypt.

“Kai, if you please.” Stiles directed.

“Sure.” Kai said with a joyful grin. He raised his hand, and Rebekah fainted where she stood. Then, dragging Davina with him, Kai left the crypt. Klaus rushed forward to stop him, but hit the spell wall with rage. He yelled at them, but with another wave of Kai’s hand the doors to the crypt closed, muffling the cries.

“Well, that was fun!” Kai said brightly to his three companions. “Always love a good ultimatum.”

“Don’t you touch her.” Kol said fiercely to him.

“Alright, sheesh.” Kai said, dropping Davina’s hand. She rubbed it where he had gripped her but didn’t make any other movements for fear of Stiles killing Kol. “Stiles,” Kai said, “we’re done. We can let them go.”

“Just a second.” Stiles said. He took the knife away and pocketed it, and Kol let out a sigh of relief. That is, until Stiles punched him in the face.

“Ow, what the hell?” Kol yelled, holding his bleeding nose.

“Kol!” Davina exclaimed, rushing forward, but Kai held her back.

“I wouldn’t get in the middle of this.” he advised.

“What did you do the Isaac?” Stiles yelled.

“Alright, I’ll tell you, just calm down!”

Stiles punched Kol again, this time in the gut. Kol stumbled backwards and Stiles followed him. He raised his fist again, but Kol held his arms up in surrender.

“I don’t remember this, because I was dead,” Kol began hurriedly, tripping over his words. “But your friend here stumbled into the quarter bleeding and half dead. My mother found him, healed him, tricked him, used him for me. His soul’s been repressed, but he lost the will to live long before he came to New Orleans.

I’ve got his memories, some of them, anyways. His mother was a witch but he never knew. I know what he was. I- I- I know about Allison, I know what drove him off the deep end. He never went to France like he told you lot. He wanted to hunt monsters like him, he wanted to be like you and your damn brothers. I recognized you. I’d probably recognize everyone. And I know about the demon you killed last summer.” Stiles froze, Kai and Davina looked at him weirdly. “That’s all I know, that’s all I have to say.”

Kol backed away and Stiles kept advancing.

“Stiles, stop!” Kai said, stepping in between the witch and the Winchester. Kol took this chance to scramble to his feet. Stiles gazed at him fiercely, and Kol stared right back with apprehension. Kai, meanwhile, studied a seething Stiles intently, a smile slowly breaking across his face. “I was right.” he whispered.

“Right about what?” Kol demanded. “That he’s a psycho? Cause you’re spot on!”

“You’ll see!” Kai replied with a wicked grin. He closed his eyes and began chanting.

“What are you-” Stiles asked, but he was cut off as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground in a heap.  
“Kol, do you mind picking him up?” Kai asked. Kol, speechless complied. Kai then turned to Davina. “I just gave him a magic knock on the head. My brother, Luke, loved those. Well...” he trailed off remoursely. “until I killed him.” He bit his lip and stared off into the distance with an air of mock mourning. Then his lip curled into another grin. “Do you have any place we could stay?”


	4. The Things We Left Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I haven't updated in a while, sorry about that. in the mean time, enjoy!

Ch. 4

The Things We Left Behind

Liv was gone. Damon heard her car start up and peel out of the driveway, and probably out of town. Unfortunately, the spell was still up, and probably would be until whatever lunar event Liv was channeling would pass. He surmised as much to his new ‘friends,’ much to their distaste.

“So we’re stuck here?” Liam repeated for the umpteenth time, with a look Damon wanted to slap off his face.

“Well, not all of us.” the Sheriff said from the other side of the doorway. He and Lydia had crossed the barrier at ease, while Parish, Scott, Liam, Malia, Derek, Kira, and Damon were left behind.

“I still don’t understand how _you_ get to leave.” Malia said to Lydia. “Aren’t you a banshee?”

“I have no healing abilities.” Lydia responded methodically. “I’m basically human. Mountain ash doesn’t work on me, either.”

“True.” Malia grumbled.

Scott groaned. “So we’re stuck here. For how long?”

“Too long.” Damon muttered. “For all we know, Stiles could be dead. Luckily, these magic bubbles don’t interfere with cell reception.” He pulled out his cell phone and waved it triumphantly. “Let me make some calls.”

 

Stiles woke up with his wrists tied together, like... pretty much always. He opened his eyes and shook his head a few times to clear it, and once that was done, began to take in his surroundings. He was sitting against a wall, and Kai was kneeling in front of him. Behind Kai was a room that looked strangely like an apothecary, with mysterious flasks, tubes, and burners spread out around several tables. Behind one of these tables, Kol and Davina were looking at Stiles cautiously, Kol still nursing his broken nose.

“Is this really necessary?” Stiles asked, holding up his tied wrists.

Kai smirked. “Call it insurance.” He pulled out a little silver knife-Stiles’ knife- from his pocket and swiftly cut through the ropes. Stiles made to stand up, but Kai stopped him. Stiles glowered.

“You know,” Kai said, twirling the knife in his fingers. “What you did back there was so unprecedented. I mean-” he laughed, “it almost seemed like you were possessed.”

Stiles swallowed the retort he was about to fire as cool fear washed over him. _How the hell could Kai know about that?_ “That was your idea.” he ground out.

“The kidnapping, yes, no offense Kol.” Kai said breezily. “But the first degree assault? That was all you.” There was something in Kai’s eyes as he peered at Stiles. A kind of untempered joy associated with success.

“You knew this would happen.” Stiles stated. “It’s why you wanted me to come with you.”

“Well, I obviously didn’t know about Isaac.” Kai said patronizingly. “Or, Kol. Sorry. I’m just glad it helped everything move along.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Stiles asked through gritted teeth.

“I said I was going to New Orleans to build an army. I never said the army was in New Orleans.” Kai leaned in closer, and Stiles edged sideways in disgust. “I have a theory. About possession. You and I both know that it isn’t as easy as some black smoke flying out of your mouth. Stuff sticks. Things get left behind.”

“What are you saying?” Stiles asked nervously, even though he knew exactly what Kai was saying. Davina looked confused, but Kol looked worried.

“I’m saying that you can’t be possessed by the darkest spirit in history and walk away mentally sound, Stiles. I’m saying there’s part of it left behind, sticking to your brain like tar. I’m saying that you’re a dormant psychopath.”

“And what, huh?” Stiles shot back. “What, you think you can wake that up?”

Kai grinned and it was terrifying.

“Who’s to say I haven’t already?”

 

“Lydia!” John panted as he struggled to keep up with the redhead. “Lydia, this is crazy!”

“I don’t care.” Lydia said steely as she marched over to her shiny blue car.

“You don’t even know where you’re going!” The sheriff pleaded.

“New Orleans.” Lydia said cooly. “Don’t worry, sheriff, I’ll pick up some stuff when I swing by my house.”

“At least let me come with you! He’s my son!”

“Sheriff,” Lydia said sternly, whirling on him, “I may be human enough to walk out that door, but I’m still a banshee. Something’s wrong. I won’t be getting to New Orleans for a few days, but I still need to leave _right now_. It- It’s- I-” her voice dropped to a whisper. “I hear the buzzing again.” The sheriff balked, and looked more concerned than ever. “I need you to stay,” Lydia begged. “Tell them all where I’ve gone. Have them follow, if they want. But don’t tell them about this.”

“I’m sure the vampire already heard everything.” The sheriff grumbled.

“Damon doesn’t know what this means.” Lydia replied. “So he’d better keep his damn mouth shut.” Then, without another word, Lydia climbed into her car and sped away.

 

“Damon!” Elena exclaimed over the phone. “Hey!”

“Hey Elena.” Damon said sweetly. He glared at his current company, daring them to listen in on his conversation.

“You left right after Sheriff Forbes’ funeral.” Elena said accusingly.

“Yeah,” Damon said with a sigh, “yeah, I kind of needed to get away.”

“That’s fine,” Elena said, “I get it, but Damon-”

“Elena, I have something-”

“-I need to tell you.” They finished simultaneously.

Damon sighed. “You first.”

“Bonnie’s back.”

Damon jolted up in shock, happiness pouring through him. “What?”

“Bonnie’s back!” Elena repeated, and now Damon could hear her almost crying with happiness. “She showed up right after I found out you were gone, and she was making pancakes, and she’s looking for you, she has something to show you-”

“Let me talk to her.” Damon said urgently.

“Okay.” Elena said. “Okay. I need to go check on Caroline anyway. Damon, come home soon, okay?”

“Okay, Elena.” he whispered, and it hurt him that he couldn’t, not yet. There was some static as the phone changed hands, and soon Damon heard the voice he had been dying to hear for two months.

“Damon?”

“Bonnie!” Damon exclaimed joyfully. “You made it back!” Around him he could see the wolves teetering with confusion, so he made a gesture indicating he’d explain later.

“Yeah!” Bonnie said happily. “Where are you? I made pancakes!”

“Ah, see, that’s the thing, Bonnie.” Damon said remorsefully. “I’m-I’m in Beacon Hills, California.”

“Beacon Hills?” Bonnie said confusedly. “Wait a minute- isn’t that where Stiles lives?”

“Yeah,” Damon said. “Yeah, there’s something I need to tell you about Stiles.”

“What is it?” Bonnie asked, worried.

“Well, firstly, did Elena fill you in on Kai?”

“What that he merged with Luke and is in the wind? Yeah, she told me.” Bonnie said, growing more worried. “Damon, what’s wrong? What does Kai have to do with any of this?”

Damon sighed. “Well, he kind of... kidnapped Stiles.”

There was a pause. “I’m coming over there.” Bonnie said sternly.

“What? Bonnie? No! Look, Liv already showed and trapped us- and, and no way! You just got back, I am not letting him hurt you!”

“Damon!” Bonnie lectured. “I’m coming. I know a spell to transport myself. I can reverse whatever Liv did. We’ll rescue Stiles. I know you weren’t very close with him when he dealt with Katherine, _but I was_. He told me I was a witch. I owe him this much. I’ll see you soon, Damon.”

The line went dead.

“What happened?” Scott asked with puppy-dog eyes.

Damon was about to reply, but a conversation taking place outside caught his attention. He looked at the wolves but they noticed nothing. It was outside their hearing range. He listened to the whole argument between the Sheriff and Lydia.

_“Well Damon better keep his damn mouth shut.”_

“The hell I will.” Damon muttered. Buzzing? What the hell?

“What is it?” Malia growled. “What did you hear?”

“Lydia’s taken off.” Damon said. “I’m sure the sheriff will be at the door any minute now to explain.” He was about to mention the buzzing, when a different idea struck his mind. Another promise he had inadvertently made. “I have another call to make.”

Damon grimaced as he dialed the phone. _Ring...ring...ring..._

“Hello?”

“Bonnie’s back.” Damon ground out. “Now let me talk to him.”

“Can’t do that, Damon. He’s a little busy processing some _very_ difficult information.”

“Well, then let me paraphrase myself.” Damon said through gritted teeth. “Bonnie’s back, and we’re coming to stop you.”

Kai hung up.

 

“Good news!” Kai said gleefully, dragging Stiles to his feet. “Bonnie’s alive!”

“What?” Kol asked, astounded. “How? She was dead!”

Everyone turned to look at him.

“She died months ago.” Kol insisted. “Bringing Jeremy back to life. I was there.”

“It’s complicated.” Kai said. “From what I know they brought her back as the anchor for the other side, the other side collapsed, she and Damon were sent to my prison world, Damon escaped, I escaped, and now, she did.”

“Damon Salvatore.” Kol said. “Oh, I’d love to skin him alive.”

“You might get your chance.” Kai replied happily. “He and Bonnie are coming down here to rescue Stiles!” He waved Stiles's hand in the air excitedly.

Stiles slapped away his grip. “Seriously, Kai?”

“I must say,” Kol admitted, “you’re taking the whole I-might-turn-evil thing surprisingly well. I remember the nogitsune. I know what it did to you.”

“You’re assuming I believe him.” Stiles said. “Personally, I’m in favor of ignoring a problem until it eventually goes away.”

“It won’t!” Kai said.

“I don’t care.” Stiles retorted. “Just build your damn army so my friends stay alive.”

“Well, Kai, I hate to break it to you, but you aren’t going to make any friends in New Orleans with Klaus locked away in a crypt.” Davina said. “Everyone’s too scared to defy him, and once the spell fades, he’ll kill you.”

Kai grinned. “He can try. There’s more than one repressed killer in this room.”

Strangely enough, Kai was looking at Kol.

 

Lydia drove down the highway at 80 miles per hour, glancing in her rearview mirror for any cops, or one of the friends she left behind.

 

Bonnie came up to the loft with the sheriff, who was confused as to how she could magically appear. “It’s a simple spell my grams taught me.” she said.

More powerful than Liv, Bonnie disintegrated the spell with some quick chanting, and then her serious composure broke and she ran to Damon with a smile on her face.

“I’m never leaving you again.” Damon murmured into her shoulder as he hugged his friend.

 

“I’m not a murderer.” Kol said, arms raised. “I ditched that, along with my bloodlust.”  
Kai laughed. “It’s like I said to Stiles, Kol. Things get left behind.”


	5. Tulane Asphalt

Ch. 5

Tulane Asphalt

“New Orleans!” Bonnie said to the wolves, once she had been properly introduced to everyone. “Who’s coming?”

“Bonnie, I, um, don’t have a car.” Damon admitted.

“That’s fine.” Scott said. “We’ll take Stiles’ jeep.” He held up the spare keys and flashed a grin. “I’m driving.”

“No doubt Stiles will shoot someone again if anyone else drives.” Derek commented. “I call shotgun.”

“How many people can Stiles’ jeep fit?” Bonnie asked.

Scott looked sheepish. “We’ve kind of ignored that. So far, it’s taken 5 of us to Mexico, and 6 of us came back.”

“Bonnie’s small, no offense.” Damon said. Bonnie punched his shoulder playfully. “So we should be fine.”

“Can I come?” Liam asked.

“No.” Derek and Scott said simultaneously.

“Fine.” Liam didn’t seem too bummed.

“Malia, Kira, I think you should stay too.” Scott said, somewhat regretfully. “The four of us should be fine.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them.” Parrish said. “Seeing as there isn’t much police work to do these days.”

“Kids, let me know if you find anything.” Sheriff Stilinski said.

Scott and Derek said their goodbyes, and then they, Derek, and Bonnie were out the door. Parrish and the sheriff left too, leaving Malia, Kira, and Liam behind.

“Mason has a car, right?” Kira asked Liam.

“Yeah I think so.” Liam replied.

“Good. Borrow it.”

“We’re going, aren’t we?” Malia said with a wicked grin.

Kira smiled sweetly. “Of course.”

 

Once Scott unlocked the doors to Stiles’ jeep, Damon rushed into the passenger seat with his vampire speed and flashed a winning smile at Derek. Derek glared at him for a good solid minute before climbing into the backseat with Bonnie.

“This’ll be a fun trip.” Bonnie muttered.

“So,” Scott said, as he started the car and drove to the highway. “You guys are from Virginia?”

“Born and raised!” Damon said proudly. “And killed, and made immortal.” Bonnie and Damon both rolled their eyes at that.

“How much did Stiles say about us?” Bonnie asked.

“Considering we found out about him being a hunter last summer?” Derek said. “Not much.”

“Allison knew about Mystic Falls before we did.” Scott said. “But eventually Stiles opened up. Of course, at the time I thought his dad shipped him off to a family friend to get away from the crazy.”

“Yep, and turns out it was his brothers shipping him to the crazy.” Derek added.

“He talked about you a lot.” Scott said, looking at Bonnie through the rearview mirror. “Even before we knew the real story. He said you changed his whole perspective on witches.” Bonnie blushed. “You, he didn’t say much about.” Scott said to the vampire next to him. “Just that you were like Derek, only a tiny bit more homicidal.”

Damon balked. “Hey! We had our moments!”

“You mean when you weren’t trying to kill him.” Bonnie corrected.

“Whatever. Should we let Blondie know we’re going after him?” Damon asked. “He did live with her.”

“No.” Bonnie said quietly. “Let her have today.”

The car filled with a somber silence as Scott and Derek grasped what that meant.

“Let me call Stefan.” Damon said. “I want to see how she’s doing.”

“Should we call Sam and Dean?” Bonnie asked. “I mean, Kai’s a psycho and he’s going to the most psycho vampires. They might want in on this.”

“No.” Scott said. “Even though Stiles said not to call them, I tried all their numbers. Nothing.”

“Well, when was the last time you saw them?” Damon asked.

“The last time Stiles disappeared.”

A different type of silence filled the car at that.

“Call Stefan.” Bonnie finally said to Damon.

 

Lydia mused over the map in her glove compartment. She was already in Nevada, it looked like the fastest route was through the bottom of Utah and the top of New Mexico, right by Santa Fe, into Texas and then Louisiana. “Gah, I didn’t pack nearly enough shampoo.” she said to herself.

 

“You guys can sleep here tonight.” Davina said. “We basically do already.”

“Alright, thanks.” Stiles said as he searched for the softest piece of stone floor.

“I should spell the place, in case my brother comes a-knocking.” Kol said. It seemed that he, Stiles, and Davina were all choosing to ignore Kai’s plans to make them psychopaths.

“Too late.” Klaus said from the doorway. “I’m already here.” He smiled, much like Kai, all mirth and no amusement, before rushing into the room at vampire speed and picking up his brother by the throat.

“You know, it didn’t take long for Rebekah to figure out how to break that spell,” Klaus said conversationally as Kol’s face turned red and struggled to wrench away his brother’s grip. “Probably because it’s been such a _nuisance._ Kind of like you.” Klaus’ look of concentration gave way to one of fury. “What are you doing with these heathens?” he spat, gesturing wildly to Stiles and Kai. “I was willing to save your life, to stand by your side if you died. And instead I get tricked. Bargaining with a common witch for your life when you have been laughing at me since beyond the grave.”

“I-didn’t-know!” Kol choked out. “I-didn’t-know-they-were-coming.”

“But you’re still alive!” Klaus drawled, watching Kol struggle with cold detachment. “And aiding them, apparently! So tell me the truth!”

“Well he can’t with you holding him like that.” Stiles said calmly.

Klaus whirled and released his brother, who dropped to his feet and slid down the wall with exhaustion. “Who are you,” Klaus snarled, “to threaten my family and speak to me like that?” He marched right up to Stiles, trying to intimidate him.

Stiles didn’t budge. “I’m Stiles.” he said. “But you knew that already.”

“A witch?” Klaus hissed.

“A hunter.”

Klaus shoved Stiles, hard. “How dare you come into my city!”

Stiles took a few steps back from the force, but didn’t fall over. “I was curious.” he said with a shrug. “I’ve never been. Normally I’m stuck in California until my brothers drag me away.”

Klaus paused. “Brothers?”

Stiles smirked. “Sam and Dean Winchester. Have you heard of them?”

Klaus groaned. He turned back to his brother. “Well this is marvelous, Kol, you’ve really outdone yourself this time! Are you aware that you’ve been associating yourself with the most dangerous hunters in the country?”

“I was, actually.” Kol said fiercely, recovered from his chokehold. “This body’s former occupant,” he gestured to himself, “knew Stiles for years. I can remember them.”

Klaus threw his hands up in exasperation. “Wonderful. You chose a great body, Kol. If anyone else from your _former life_ decides to show up, we just might have hell on these streets!”

“Nik, stop.” Kol said seriously. “This is mother’s fault. She put me in this body, she brought Finn back, she’s the one responsible for everything that’s happened. Don’t blame me, don’t blame Stiles, and don’t blame yourself!”

Something Kol said seemed to resonate with Klaus, for he started pacing furiously, trying to calm down. Kol, Kai, Davina, and Stiles all looked at each other in horrified relief, like they had just dodged a million bullets, each.

“Alright,” Klaus said finally, “you are coming back home with me.” He looked from Kol to Davina to Stiles and finally to Kai. “All of you.”

He stormed out, muttering furiously of witches and their friends.

“Happy now?” Stiles asked Kai once Klaus had left the room.

Kai grinned. “Indefinitely. I must say, I’m impressed.”

“Now what’s this about the most dangerous hunters in the world?” Davina asked.

Kol caught Stiles’ eye, and he shook his head. “We can talk about that tomorrow, love.” Kol said.

 

“Hey Stefan!” Damon said happily once his brother answered the phone. “What’s up?”

“Damon, where are you?” Stefan asked frantically.

“In a car, Stefan.”

“That’s very funny, Damon.” Stefan chided. “Talking while driving will get people hurt!”

“Woah, Stefan, calm down!” Damon said. “I didn’t say I was driving! What’s got you so upset?”

“I am in Caroline’s house, holding Elena in my arms,” Stefan said bitterly, “and she has a broken neck. I can’t find Caroline anywhere.”

“Woah, woah!” Damon exclaimed. “What? You’re saying Caroline attacked Elena and ran away right after her mother’s funeral? Why?”

“I can guess.” Stefan said. “She flipped her humanity switch.”

“Blonie flipping the switch.” Damon mused. “Who would have guessed?”

“Her car’s gone.” Stefan said. “She left town, probably to get away from us, to go find company.”

“That’s insane.” Damon said. “Where on earth is she going to find a vampire crazy enough to- oh.”

“Yeah.” Stefan said.

“New Orleans.”

“Yeah. Damon I need you to come home.”

“No can do, Stefan. But you’re in luck. I’m actually on my way.”

“Home?” Stefan asked hopefully.

“No. New Orleans.”

 

“So, what’d you tell Mason?” Kira asked as Liam exited his best friend’s house. “Can we use the car?”

“We can.” Liam said. “On one condition.”

“What?” Malia asked, somewhat impatiently.

Mason appeared at the door with his keys. “I’m driving.”

Kira and Malia looked at each other regretfully.

“Hey, look,” Mason said defensively, “just cause I’m all caught up doesn’t mean I want anything to do with this werewolf business. I’ve got family in New Orleans, I’ll visit them, and you can call me when you’ve got Stiles.”

“Alright, sounds fair.” Kira said.

 

“This is crazy.” Stiles commented as he, Kol, Kai, and Davina walked into Klaus’ enormous house. It was clear the wedding Stiles had seen earlier had taken place at this spot, for while there were no more guests, large white garlands and pretty lights hung from every surface.

“The fact that we’re wedding crashers or the fact that Klaus didn’t kill us?” Kai asked.

“The fact that Klaus is giving us a place to stay!” Stiles corrected.

“It’s not so out of the ordinary.” Kol said. “He likes to keep his eye on his enemies.”

Stiles threw his hands up exasperatedly. “Well, that makes me feel better.”

“Davina, dear, why don’t you go stay with Rebekah? I’m sure she’ll love the company.” Klaus drawled.

Davina ever so reluctantly peeled herself off of Kol’s arm and began to step away from the group. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” she asked Kol, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Of course, love.” Kol replied. Davina nodded, and, clearly exhausted, trudged away to find Rebekah.

Klaus, Kol, Kai, and Stiles now stood in the center of the huge plaza Klaus had for a house. “Kol, take Kai up to your room.” Klaus directed. “I’ll send Stiles up shortly.”

“You’re not going to send him up in pieces, I hope.” Kol said.

Klaus’ eyes narrowed. “Run along.” he said forcefully. Kol and Kai scurried out of the way, leaving Stiles alone with a 1,000-year-old hybrid. Lovely.

 

It was around three in the morning when Damon convinced Scott to pull over and change drivers in Colorado.

“Scott,” he protested. “I am an immortal vampire. I can go a day without sleep!”

Scott relented, and they had switched seats while Bonnie and Derek were dozing in the back.

“Get a picture of them, would you?” Damon asked. “I have a feeling I’ll need some leverage later.”

 

It was four in the morning exactly when Lydia pulled over into a motel halfway through Utah.

 

It was five in the morning when Stiles finally got to Kol’s room and crashed on a spare bed. _This is the longest day ever._ Stiles thought. _Did I really get kidnapped 20 hours ago?_

And it was five-thirty when a blond girl in Arkansas almost broke into tears over her mother’s death, then shook her head and kept driving.


	6. Desert Vibe

Ch. 6

Desert Vibe

Lydia woke up early, with fewer than three hours of sleep under her belt. It was so early, that it was still morning by the time she passed Santa Fe. As she was driving along a dusty orange desert road, the sun hot in the sky and the wind whipping slightly, she saw a strange sight. A boy, very tall, with dark brown hair, was walking along the side of the road, alone, with nothing but a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and the clothes on his back. Normally, Lydia would have sped up, leaving the hitchhiker in the dust, but as her car approached him, Lydia felt... strange. It was this feeling, the same one she got around Peter, the same sensation she felt the day before when she met Damon. Her throat felt raw, like she had already screamed her lungs out. She knew what it meant. This boy, this random hitchhiker, he had died before.

Compelled by curiosity, Lydia slowed her car’s pace to a crawl and rolled down her window. “Need a ride?” she asked the stranger.

The stranger looked at Lydia in surprise, grateful that someone had actually stopped. He took in her appearance, a girl with red hair, about his own age, and deemed her harmless enough to talk to. “Yeah, yeah, that’d be great.”

“Where to?” Lydia found herself asking.

“Um...” the hitchhiker replied, “anywhere, really?”

“Does New Orleans work for you?” Lydia asked. The hitchhiker paused in deep thought, postulating, before nodding.

“Yeah, it does.”

“Great. Hop in.”

As the hitchhiker climbed into her car, Lydia couldn’t help thinking to herself, _This is crazy, what the hell am I doing? No one is crazy enough to actually pick up hitchhikers._ But the strange feeling she felt only intensified when the guy got into her car, and she knew she had done the right thing. She sped up as the hitchhiker buckled his seatbelt and settled in.

“So,” Lydia said, somewhat awkwardly, “What’s your name?”

“Jeremy Gilbert.” the boy replied. “And you?”

“Lydia Martin.” Lydia said. Then, because she was curious, “are you in high school?”

“Just graduated.” Jeremy said, somewhat proudly.

“It’s February.”

“Yeah, my sister kind of pulled some strings.” Jeremy admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

“Well then what are you doing on the side of the road?” Lydia asked, throwing subtlety out the window.

“I’m-looking for someone.” Jeremy said, shifting a little. It was obvious to Lydia that he was lying, but she decided not to press.

“Well, I’m looking for someone, too.” Lydia said, changing the topic. “He ran away to New Orleans.”

“From California? That’s a long trip.”

Lydia was about to ask how he knew where she was from before remembering that it was on her license plate. “Well, this puts me at a disadvantage, considering I have no idea where you’re from.”

“Virginia.” Jeremy said, deciding he could trust her. “Mystic Falls.”

It was a good thing the highway they were on was empty, because Lydia slammed on the brakes. Once the car had stopped she whirled and looked at Jeremy in shock.

“Jeremy Gilbert.” she muttered. Gilbert. _Gilbert_. Why hadn’t she thought of it earlier? Didn’t Stiles mention that Elena had a brother?

“Lydia Martin.” Jeremy mumbled. Lydia. _Lydia._ Wasn’t that the name of that girl Stiles wouldn’t shut up about? That long ago? There was no way...

“You’re not from _Beacon Hills, California_ , by any chance, are you?” Jeremy asked apprehensively.

Lydia gave a curt nod.

“And that person you’re looking for...”

“Stiles Winchester.”

Jeremy gulped. “What happened to him?”

Lydia stepped on the gas before responding. “He was kidnapped by some psycho named Kai.”

Jeremy swore. “I hate that guy.”

“You know him?” Lydia asked incredulously.

“A little.” Jeremy said. “I nearly killed him trying to save my girlfriend's life. Then I saved his life, which evidently turned out to be a huge mistake if this is what he does with it.”

“Well, he went to New Orleans to poke at the Originals.” Lydia offered. “Or we think that’s where he’s going.”

“Well maybe I won’t have to kill him.” Jeremy said hopefully. “Klaus will rip the guy’s head off just for being a smartass.”

“One can dream.” Lydia mumbled. “Just hearing him over the phone made me want to gouge my eyes out.”

“I can’t wait to get there.” Jeremy said impatiently.

“Well, you’re right.” Lydia said with a sigh. “We have a long trip.”

 

Kol woke up to the odd sound of other people breathing. _That’s strange_. he thought. _I could have sworn I fell asleep in my room._ Suddenly, the previous day’s events came hurdling through his memory. A heartbeat from death, collapsing in the latin quarter, when he’s suddenly assisted by an old friend he’s never met. The exorcism. Waking up with no control over a werewolf’s body. Getting beat up by Stiles. _Stiles_. Kol shifted his gaze to the side, and sure enough, Stiles and his weird friend Kai were crashed on two spare mattresses. At first glance, Kai had seemed harmless. Then he starts ranting about the possession, and Kol knew that he was crazy. The witch actually had the audacity to assume that a centuries old ex-vampire would all of the sudden fall off the wagon. Speaking of which... Bonnie was coming to town. And she would bring Damon, and he would drag Jeremy along by his teeth. That was bad. Every one of them had a perfectly good reason to murder Kol where he stood, and with his new body that would be significantly easier. With his new body, they wouldn’t recognize him, but it would only be a matter of time.

“Stiles!” Kol hissed at the sleeping hunter. Stiles turned over but didn’t wake up, and Kol was hit by a wave of memories that weren’t his.

_He had fallen, down, down, down, into a hollow grave. He was terrified, even though he knew he could climb out. He was terrified of the noises that had driven him to fear. Then, out of nowhere, a tall man with dark hair and glowing red eyes stood over him, looking down with pity and hope._   
_“Need a hand?”_

Kol shook his head to clear it. It was very distracting, really, having five different sets of memories. There was before he was human, a millenia ago, which he could still recall as clearly as the day before he died, there was the 1,000 years of vampirism, there was the other side, mainly memories of wandering aimlessly, talking to himself, and bugging the Bennett witch when he had the chance. Then there were the memories of him in his new body, Kaleb, then Kol. And as i his hand wasn’t jostling enough as is, he had to get Isaac’s weird psyche trips. They were flashes, mostly, he couldn’t scroll back through them unless he concentrated, but they happened frequently enough that he got the general life of the kid. The childhood, the abuse, the werewolfism. They were more frequent when Stiles was around, as if Isaac were clinging to the remnants of life. Mother had said that it was because he wasn’t human, that for anyone else the two souls stayed separate, but his werewolfism made it harder for Kol to take over. It might not have happened at all had Isaac not been weak and hopeless. _Whatever the reason,_ Kol thought, _it had better work as a cover story._

“Stiles!” Kol hissed again, and this time, Stiles bolted upright with attention. Unfortunately, so did Kai.

“Morning, everybody!” Kai said cheerfully. Kol and Stiles rolled their eyes simultaneously.

“What’d my brother want you for?” Kol asked Stiles, only then remembering how the hunter had been held back from the group.

“Just the general ‘don’t kill the populace!’” Stiles said with a nervous laugh. He was obviously lying but Kol decided not to press. Kai, on the other hand, was less tactical.

“Please.” he drawled, rolling his eyes in a similar fashion that his roommates had done moments prior. “He was seeing if you brought it. He probably ripped your duffel bag off of your shoulder and tore through it before letting you leave.” Kai smiled delightfully, knowing he was right.

“Yeah,” Stiles admitted, “but I didn’t bring it.”

“Bring what?” Kol asked, uneasily at a total loss.

Stiles jerked on his earlobe a few times, indicating that anyone could be listening. “Klaus is worried that I brought something into his home that could possibly harm him, something that I’m rumored for using.”

“That’s impossible!” Kol exclaimed. “Nothing can hurt him except for the stake!” _And the dagger I created_.

“I know!” Stiles said untruthfully. “But still. People talk.”

“About what?” Kol asked. “What could Klaus possibly be worried about?”

“What were you worried about?” Stiles retorted. “Why were you scared of me?”

“What?”

“I said, _why were you so afraid_?”

_“I look at Stiles, and I’m afraid.” His mouth was speaking but Kol wasn’t talking. “I’m afraid of what he represents, of the person he’s hid from us, and especially what he will become.”_ Where was that from? _That was when Isaac found out Stiles was a hunter._ Kol realized. When he shot the demon with the-

“No!” Kol exclaimed disbelievingly. “No way.”

Stiles nodded. Kai watched the conversation happily, not the least bit lost.

“You didn’t bring it.” Kol dared.

“I didn’t.” Stiles confirmed. Then, he reached out, past his own dark gray duffel to Kai’s army green one. Kai didn’t protest as Stiles undid the zipper slowly and rummaged around, before pulling out a sleek, old, western gun that Kol had only seen in stolen memories.

Kol was rendered speechless at the audacity, but Stiles kept talking. “I mean, I was literally kidnapped. I didn’t even pack my own stuff, and the person who did pack it couldn’t have possibly known what it was. Even if they were to stumble upon it, knowing all hunters had a weapon stashed somewhere.” He shot a grinning Kai a glare. “I mean, he probably didn’t make the connection until you mentioned the demon I killed last fall. And then he would have regretted not packing it.”

Kai raised his hands up in surrender. “Guilty.” he mouthed.

“You sneaky son of a bitch.” Kol mumbled.

Suddenly there were two sharp raps at the door. Kai lept up to answer it, and as he made his way away Kol leaned in towards Stiles conspiratorily.

“That bastard reminds me so much of my old self, it’s uncanny.”

“Yeah, well, you remind me of someone else, too.” Stiles replied a bit icily.

“Good to know we’re not over this.” Kol mumbled. “You’d think me letting you take a few hits would clear it all up.”

Meanwhile, Kai opened the door grandly and Davina sauntered in, shooting Kai a glare.

“What’s up, love?” Kol asked as she swooped down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“We need to leave.” Davina said sternly. “Rebekah’s been watching me like a hawk, asking all sorts of questions about them,” she gestured to Stiles and Kol, “that I can’t answer. We need to go back to the crypt.”

“Alright.” Kol said. “Although we may need to find a new one now that Klaus knows where it is. So.” He turned to Stiles and Kai. “You up for some sightseeing?”

 

“-and then she just snapped my neck!” Elena exclaimed via phone to the blue jeep. “I’m fine, but I had no idea Caroline would do that to me.”

It was around 10 a.m., and everyone except Damon had just woken up from various uncomfortable sleeping positions. Damon was on the phone with Elena, who had recovered from Caroline’s attack.

“You okay to stay put with Stefan?” Damon asked.

“Yeah.” Elena said. “I’m in no mood to face the Originals.”

“I doubt they want to talk to the girl who killed Kol.” Bonnie mumbled. “He certainly wasn’t happy.”

“When will you guys get there?” Elena asked.

“Well, it’s a 32 hour drive, and we’ve been going for 12, so... tomorrow morning!” Damon said brightly. Everyone else groaned.

 

“Mason...” Kira began tentatively after passing Nevada. “Do you have your license?”

“Uh....”

“Why don’t you let me drive.” Kira said sweetly. “We should be there by tomorrow morning.”

 

“How did you get from Northern California to Santa Fe in one day?” Jeremy asked with amusement as he regarded the map.

“I’m a genius.” Lydia replied curtly. “I know how to fool speed traps.”

“Alright, well we should be in New Orleans by 1 a.m.” Jeremy said. “And then we can kill some vampires.”

“And Kai.”

 

“So, you... what? Ransacked Stiles’ room, took a gun you knew nothing about, and only later found out it was the Colt?” Davina asked Kai with shrew incredulousness.

Kai nodded slowly. “Pretty much.”

Davina turned to Stiles and Kol. “And this gun can kill demons?”

“Demons, werewolves, witches...” Stiles listed. He dropped his voice. “Vampires.”

“An Original?”

Stiles shrugged. “Who the hell knows?”

They were walking down an uneven cobblestone street, the late morning sun filtering the air with a pleasant aura. The whole group, though, three witches and a hunter, was tense, having just emerged from the New Orleans equivalent of the lion’s den. Kai was actually humming a folk song as they walked.

“Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Daniel in the lion’s de-en. Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Daniel...”

“Kai, stop.” Stiles said firmly. Kai grinned but relented, laughing as he marched through the city streets.

“Stiles, I need to talk to you about something-” Kol began, but he was interrupted by Davina.

“We’re here.”

 

“So now that I know who you are,” Lydia began tentatively, “want to tell me what you were really doing in Santa Fe?”

“Going to art school.” Jeremy replied as he studied the map.

Lydia rolled her eyes.

“Well you know us artist types.” Jeremy said defensively. “Gotta love that desert vibe.”

“Scorching hot days with sub-zero nights.” Lydia replied. “Yeah, it’s the dream.”

“It’s not so bad if you’re hunting vampires.” Jeremy said evenly. He opened up his duffel bag and took out several bloody stakes. “I have a machete too, because that’s what Stiles carried.” Lydia’s eyes widened slightly but she didn’t show any other inkling of surprise at the revelation. “There was a nest of them,” Jeremy continued, “dropping bodies like there was no tomorrow. As it turns out, there wasn’t.”

“How many?” Lydia asked tentatively.

Jeremy shrugged. “Ten? I lost count.”

“You lost count...” Lydia trailed off. Suddenly, a shrill ringing noise emitted from Jeremy’s pocket.

“That’ll be Alaric.” Jeremy muttered. “My...”

“Yeah, I know who he is.”

Jeremy looked surprised at that, but he answered the phone without further comment. “Hey Alaric, what’s up?”

“I’m engaged and I’m going to be a dad,” came Alaric’s tinny reply. “But I’m more interested in what’s going on with you.”

“Ten vampires, staked and buried.” Jeremy responded proudly.

“Not buried enough.” Alaric said bluntly. “The story’s all over the news.” Jeremy flinched, and looked ashamed of himself. “Don’t worry, Jeremy.” Alaric continued, voice thick with what Lydia assumed was pride. “The bodies were mutilated enough that the police think an animal did it. Ironically the same animal they’re blaming for all of their victims.”

“Thanks, Ric.” Jeremy replied.

“Listen...” Alaric said heavily. “There’s something you need to know about Kai. You saved his life, but I think that was a big mistake. Remember the hunter from not too long ago, Stiles?”

“Yeah?” Jeremy asked tentatively. Lydia raised an eyebrow at the dramatics.

“Kai tracked him down, and for whatever reason, kidnapped him. I heard from Stefan that Damon’s trying to track him down. He thinks they’re heading to New Orleans.”

“Oh.” Jeremy said evenly.

“Jeremy, I know I’m asking you to blow your cover, but I think Damon could use the extra help.”

“Not to worry.” Jeremy said. “I’m on my way.”

 

‘Here’ turned out to be a dusty restaurant that Davina’s friend Camille worked at. She wasn’t there, but Davina, Stiles, Kol, and Kai sat down to eat lunch. Davina grabbed a nearby paper, and scanned the headlines.

“Why are there five chairs?” Stiles asked.

“Because we’re meeting someone here.” Davina murmured as she read. “My friend, Josh.”

“Why?” Kol asked.

Davina didn’t answer. “Listen to this.” she said instead. “Ten adults brutally massacred outside Santa Fe city limits.”

Kai, who was casually sipping his water, jumped as if shocked. “Let me see that.” He tore the paper from Davina’s grip and read furiously. “A mass slaughter of ten highly mutilated New Mexico locals was found late last night while a ranger was walking through New Mexico National Forest on a routine patrol. Doctors are puzzled by what appears to be an early stage of decay in the remnants, as even an hour after the deaths, (when the bodies were recovered), the skins of the victims appeared to have a premature grey sheen. Dr. Joanne Singer postulates that this is due to the scale of the mauling, leading small pieces of flesh to decay faster than the normal rate. ‘It’s the only explanation.’ She told _The New York Times_ this morning. ‘What’s odd, or perhaps enlightening, is that wooden splinters were found among the remains, particularly near the hearts. It shows that the bodies may have been dragged around the forest they were found in, possibly contributing to the scale of damage inflicted. While there are no teeth marks as were present in the other victims, it does help narrow the search for whatever savage animal did this.’ Ranger Ted Nugent was unavailable for comment on what is turning out to be one of the deadliest string of animal attacks in the history of the state, with over 35 dead.”

Kai tossed the paper to the center of the table. “Someone just killed ten vampires, if the grey skin and the wooden splinters is anything to go off of. And I bet I know who did it.” He grinned conspiratorially.

“I think I lost my appetite.” Stiles grumbled, pushing away his piece of the complementary bread.

“Who do you think did it?” Davina asked.

Kai held everyone’s gaze, breathing in the suspense. “Jeremy Gilbert.”

Kol began choking on the water he was drinking, spitting it out and growing visibly paler. “H-h-how do you know this?”

“He was supposed to be going to art school there.” Kai said with a shrug. “I’m not surprised it turned out to be a ploy to keep hunting.”

Stiles studied Kol and Kai carefully. “What is your problem?” he asked the ashen-faced former. Davina looked curious too.

“Jeremy was the one who killed me.” Kol said in a low voice. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

“You never told me that.” Davina said, more stunned than angry.

“I didn’t really want to think about it.” Kol admitted. “And it turns out he’s only a couple states away.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Kai said. “You know how much hunters love that desert vibe.”


	7. Heaven on Seven

Ch. 7

Heaven on Seven

Kol, Stiles, Davina and Kai had all sunk their teeth into their delicious Cajun food by the time Josh arrived. Tall, curly hair, and wearing a red shirt, he looked around the restaurant for a minute before finally spotting his brown-haired friend.

“Hey Davina!” Josh said brightly as he made his way over and sat down in between her and Kol. “What’s up?”

“Josh, I’d like you to meet some friends of mine. That’s Stiles,” she jerked her fork to where he sat across from her, “and that’s Kai.” She nudged her right.

Stiles and Kai nearly choked on their food at the word ‘friends’ but didn’t protest.

“Pleased to meet you!” Stiles said after he finished coughing, extending his hand across the round table. Josh shook it, eyeing him strangely. He looked from Stiles to Kai, sizing them up.

“What’s going on?” He didn’t sound accusatory, more curious.

“These two,” Davina said, using her fork again to gesture to the pair, “are going to help us bring down Klaus.”

If Josh had been drinking water, he would have spit it out, he started so fast. Kol raised an eyebrow at Davina’s brazenness, but didn’t comment.

“What- Davina- what- are you insane?” Josh sputtered. “You’re talking about this in the open with strangers? Have you lost your mind? Why should we trust them to help us?”

“Kai is the leader of the Gemini coven and Stiles is a Winchester hunter.” Davina replied smoothly.

“I have no idea what that even means!” Josh said exasperatedly.

“I don’t either,” Davina said with a shrug, “but Klaus saw them and he nearly lost his marbles. He was terrified of one of them, and it isn’t the one with the magic powers.”

Josh stopped flailing at that, and looked at Stiles with scrutinization. “A hunter, huh.”

“Yeah...” Stiles said tentatively.

“Congratulations. You’re probably the first one brave enough to come to New Orleans in one piece.” Josh cracked a smile and leaned back in his chair. Stiles relaxed. He didn’t miss the way Josh drank the water with reluctance, though, as if he were really thirsty for something else.

He was a vampire, albeit a friendly one.

“So, what are we eating?” Josh asked the table. “I’m starving.”

 

“You know, I’ve never had werewolf blood.” Damon commented as he drove Stiles’ jeep through the rising sun. “I wonder what it tastes like.”

Scott rolled his eyes next to him. “The answer’s still no, Damon.”

“How about Cajun?” Bonnie piped up from the back seat. “As in, let’s keep the hell moving?”

 

Caroline was driving (well, speeding) along the highway when a dull but loud thump came from the trunk of her car.

“No, Matt!” she snapped loudly. “I am not letting you out!”

Even with the radio blasting, she could hear his muffled scream.

 

Once Josh had gotten up to go see Aiden, Stiles and Kai leaned forward towards their companions.

“What’s this about killing Klaus?” Stiles asked with an edge of panic in his voice.

“Not killing.” Davina said, undeterred by Stiles’ panic. “That’d kill Josh, and any other people Klaus has turned. _Stopping_.”

“We can do it.” Kol said upbeatly. “We have a dagger that’ll desicate him.”

“How does this help me?” Kai mused. He put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his locked fingers, gazing at the witches intently.

“With Klaus gone, there’s an entire werewolf and vampire army thrown into confusion with a huge power vacuum.” Davina said with a wave of her hand. “Do with them what you please, just don’t hurt anyone innocent.”

“How are you going to manage that?” Stiles said with a smirk.

Kai’s eyes narrowed. “My coven is far from innocent.”

Stiles shut up at that.

 

“So Bonnie,” Damon began, looking at the brunette through the rearview mirror, “how’s it feel to be back?”

“Well, I missed the lovely sound of your voice.” Bonnie said bitingly, but there was a tone of truth under her words. Damon smiled at her for a moment before falling into a small frown, as if he had just remembered something important.

“We should probably call Jeremy.”

“Ah-” Bonnie said hesitantly, “n-not yet.” Damon furrowed his brow. “It’s just- he’s at art school, and he seems to be over everything, I don’t want him to come running back into the Mystic Falls vortex.”

“Vortex, huh.” Derek said thoughtfully. Everyone jumped, it being the first words he had spoken in hours, unless glowering counted. “That bad?”

“No, it’s just, everywhere I look there’s a memorial.” Bonnie admitted. “People kept dying for the stupidest of causes, and I kept thinking that I was next. And then I was.” Derek started at that, and Bonnie smiled sadly.

“I wouldn’t say _stupid_ causes.” Damon drawled.

“Damon, how many people did you kill just to piss off your brother?” Bonnie chided. “I wasn’t just talking about our friends!”

“You sound as if you’re planning on leaving.” Derek noted.

Bonnie sighed. “I sound as if I haven’t been there in a long time.”

“So, that’s a ‘no’ to Jeremy.” Damon mumbled.

 

“What’s the plan?” Stiles asked Davina as the four were walking along a boulevard after lunch. “Considering you’ve known us for less than 24 hours.”

“The details are fuzzy.” Davina said in agreement, the sunlight highlighting her brown hair as they walked, “But we are three powerful witches and whatever you are, with a demon-killing gun. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Two powerful witches and one coven leader who’s hell bent on making us psychopaths.” Kol added, eyeing Kai shrewdly. “Or did you think we’ve forgotten.”

“I’d be surprised if you forgot anything, Kol.” Kai said with a smile. The words were plain, but Kol stumbled slightly in shock as he took his next couple steps. Kai smiled at this, and everyone was reminded of the manipulative sociopath he was.

“Kol, what’s he talking about?” Davina asked worriedly.

“How many people are crammed inside your head?” Kai continued. “You’re holding together marvelously.”

“Kai...” Stiles said warningly. Kai ignored him.

“Kol, what’s he talking about?” Davina repeated, her face etched in worry. Kol straightened up and tried to flash a reassuring grin, but it fell flat on his audience.

“Look, I... I’m different now, without the bloodlust.” Kol began. “I’m still me, but I’m a lot different. It’s like having two sets of memories.”

“And then there’s Isaac.” Stiles added.

Kol gulped. “Yeah. If I concentrate hard enough.”

“How much of the new you is you,” Kai postulated, “and how much of it is Isaac’s temperate personality.”

“Why do you ask?” Stiles asked, but he knew exactly why.

“Because eventually he’s going to tap into that werewolf rage.”

“Well, fantastic!” Stiles said exasperatedly. “We’ve got an ex-nogitsune, a psychopathic witch, and the new definition of a vampire-werewolf-witch hybrid.”

“And me.” Kai added.

Davina bristled.

 

Klaus paced his study furiously while Elijah looked on with concealed amusement.

“I do not like this.” Klaus declared. “Kol, hanging around with these miscreants. The harvest girl was bad enough, but now a Winchester and yet another witch. What’s next? A kanima?”

Elijah peered at his brother over his clasped fingers. “Have you ever actually encountered the Winchesters?” he asked curiously.

“No.” Klaus admitted acerbically. “But I don’t need to. The rumors are enough to know that they are arrogant, rash, irritating-”

“They’d fit in here.” Elijah murmured.

Klaus spun around furiously. “What was that?”

“Nothing.” Elijah said quickly. “But I have actually encountered these hunters. They did not know I was a vampire, of course, but I found them to be rational, intelligent, and resourceful.”

“They started the apocalypse!” Klaus proclaimed.

“They also ended it, if the rumors are to be believed.” Elijah retorted. “They’ve killed less than you or I, and as humans they have their limitations. While I have never heard of Stiles, I strongly advise you give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“They have the Colt-”

“You searched his bag, and you found nothing.” Elijah said bitingly. “So for goodness sakes, Niklaus, would you give it a rest?”

 

“This is the dagger.” Kol said dramatically, holding a coated silver blade the size of his forearm with pride. He handed it to Stiles, who studied it gingerly, twirling it around in his hands.

“Vampires can’t wield these daggers without dying.” Stiles said. “Elena said that too me in a phone call once.”

“I tortured her once.” Kai commented. “She was no fun.”

Three heads snapped to Kai, and then Stiles, Kol, and Davina every so slightly shifted away from him.

“So...” Stiles said tactfully. “We have this. We have the colt. We need a date, and we need a plan. Most importantly, we need a list of enemies. People to avoid if we succeed in bringing Klaus down.”

“Elijah.” Davina said. “He won’t be angry, but he sure will disapprove.”

“Rebekah.” Kol added. “She’ll go mental.”

Davina looked thoughtful. “Hayley, because that’s one less thing keeping Hope safe. She might not attack, though. With her it’s hard to tell.”

“Marcel.” Kol said. “Possibly.”

Kai whistled. “Thats a long list. But consider the possibility that someone will just pull the dagger out.”

Kol set the dagger down slowly, a frown on his face. “I didn’t think about that. I just kind of assumed no one would want to.”

“We can’t rely on that.” Stiles said with an air of certainty. “We have to rely on the fact that no one will know he’s been daggered.”

Davina and Kol looked at Stiles strangely.  
“What?” Stiles asked incredulously. “You weren’t just going to walk up and stab him in front of a dozen witnesses?”

Davina and Kol shifted uncomfortably.

“We need to trick him.” Kai said. “Get him to come to us. Attack him on our turf, hide the body so he’s missing, not dead.”

“Everyone you just listed will attack us if we kill Klaus.” Stiles said. “The list gets shorter if you name people who will attack us if Klaus hasn’t been around for a couple days. It gives us time”

“Enough time for us to act like nothing is wrong.” Kai added.

“Enough time for us to get out of town and disappear.” Stiles finished.

There was a beat, and Kol grinned mischievously. “My family, they call me the willy fox. I suppose if anyone were to team up with Stiles to pull a trick, it’d be me.”

Stiles flinched at the mention of the nogitsune, of the methods of trickery and treachery that were still with him.

_Come on, Stiles. It’ll be fun._

“No, it wasn’t.” Stiles said softly to himself.

Kai heard him but said nothing.

 

“So...” Lydia began awkwardly.

She was still driving, and it had been about five hours since picking Jeremy up, about 1 in the afternoon.

“We’re going fast.” Jeremy said. “We’re making great time. I think we might actually get there tonight.”

Lydia sighed, staring at the endless stretch of land ahead of her.

“Awesome.”


	8. Janus

Ch. 8

Janus

Caroline had finally brought Matt out of the trunk and had him tied to the front seat, wrists bound. He glared at her fiercely.

“Caroline, why am I here?” he asked acerbically.

Caroline smiled sweetly. “Ultimatum. To make sure no one follows me. If they do, I kill you.”

Matt paled, knowing very well that they would follow Caroline, and certain vampires (Damon,) would certainly value Caroline’s humanity over Matt’s life. Matt couldn’t remember the last time anyone supernatural had any respect for humans they weren’t personally invested in. It’s why he had joined Tripp’s crusade. To balance it out, to make a difference.

_To be like Stiles._

Matt wasn’t sure where that thought had come from, but he realized it was true. He had wanted to be like Stiles, able to manage the regular and the supernatural, to not get caught in the crossfire like so many people including himself and his sister had. He had been reluctant, at first, to think that way. _Caroline was trained by Stiles,_ a voice in his head had said, _and she ended up with a broken neck._ And now here she was, with no humanity. If her mentor could see her now... Of course, Matt knew something no one else did.

_Matt had just left the funeral when he saw Damon, looking very agitated, get off of his phone outside of the church following the funeral. He promptly walked over._

_“Everything okay?”_

_Damon turned around in a huff. “Not now, Donovan!” Behind him, Matt saw Liv walking away. She must have come to the funeral._

_Damon started to stomp away, too, but then seemed to think better of it. “Listen,” he said to Matt, clearly displeased with having to speak to him, “I need to leave, now, and you’re the only one here so I might as well tell you. I’m heading to Beacon Hills.”_

_Matt scrunched his brow in confusion. “California? Why?”_

_Damon sighed. “It’s Stiles. Kai... kidnapped him.”_

_Matt nearly fell over. “WHAT?”_

_“Yeah, I know, listen, tell Stefan where I’ve gone. I’ll call once I know more.”_

_Matt blinked and Damon was gone, no doubt speeding off to California. He went to go say his condolences to Caroline, but couldn’t find Stefan anywhere. He talked to an officer about applicants, went to the Mystic Grill, walked Caroline home because she said Elena had ditched her. It turned out to be a ploy, but before he was knocked out and stuffed in a trunk he had checked his phone, which contained one new message from Damon, saying Stiles was in New Orleans._

Matt’s outlook, however grim, was lightened by the possibility that Stiles was in New Orleans. He could help. Of course, if Stiles was there, Kai was there, and Matt personally felt safer at the mercy of Caroline. But she didn’t need to know that. Let her think she was safe, that there was nothing waiting for her except a love struck hybrid and some time to kill.

“You know,” Caroline mused. “I have no idea what I saw in you. I mean, I thought you were this strong, awesome guy-” she glanced with disdain at his humiliating position, “-yet here you are.”

“It’s fair.” Matt said gruffly. “I have no idea what you see in Klaus.”

Caroline jerked the steering wheel sharply at his words and shot him a warning glance.

“I don’t care.” she said with emphasis. “I don’t care enough to care. I’m just... curious.”

“He’s not going to be happy you flipped your switch.” Matt said somewhat recklessly, acutely aware of the probability of getting his neck snapped at angering her. “He fell in love with the good, angel-like vampire.”

“Well that vampire can suck it.” Caroline said ruefully, with a glare out the windshield that told Matt he was right. If he had learned anything from vampires he knew that the humanity switch wasn’t really a switch. It was a wall, with cracks and leaks forming from the very beginning, until the dam burst. He had noticed it, with Elena, with Stefan, and now here was Caroline. Angry. Matt smiled to himself, but it never crossed his face. Better to not let Caroline see the aces up his sleeve.

“You’re right.” Matt said with a rueful sigh. “I’m useless.”

Caroline smiled emotionlessly. “Glad to see we’re on the same page.”

 

They were walking in the street again, Kol, Kai, Davina and Stiles, and Stiles marveled at how well they all got along. Less than a day ago he and Kai had shown up, beat up Isaac, trapped the Originals, given everyone every reason not to trust them, and here they were. Stiles chose not to also dwell on the fact that he and Kai got along, too.

“Klaus is having a party tonight.” Davina stated suddenly. “A sort of after party for Hayley’s wedding. An attempt to bring the wolves and vampires closer together.”

Stiles and Kai nodded, having been informed on the Witch-Wolf-Vampire tensions within the city.

“What you think we’re going to do it then?” Kol asked disbelievingly. “You’re bonkers!”

“No, no, no, it’s a good idea.” Stiles said. “A crowded place is an alibi. No one will notice a couple people slipping away.”

“Including the host?” Kai asked incredulously. “Guys, I love plans, but let’s be realistic.”

“Scouting, then.” Davina offered. “Test the waters. Get friendly with the locals. Have either of you even talked to Klaus since he dragged you home to keep an eye on you? Get him to trust you.”

“Up to a point.” Kol mumbled. “It is _Klaus_ we’re talking about.”

“It’s a good idea.” Kai mused. “I happen to flourish amidst a lot of people.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Manipulative and all.”

Kai ignored him. “How many people are coming to this party?”

“Oh, the whole town was invited.” Davina said. “Rebekah actually asked me to help with decorations, that’s where we’re headed now.”

Stiles looked up, and soon enough, the path of their feet had led to a small but packed decoration shop off of the main street. It held shiny garlands, colorful confetti, and masks. “Davina, what kind of party is this?”

Davina looked grim as she replied. “A masquerade.”

Kol, Kai, and Stiles all sighed.

“Of course it is.”

 

“This party is a bad idea, brother.” Klaus drawled as he set cloths on a wide array of tables spanning across the floor of his home, at Rebekah’s direction.

“Rebekah is still upset at her current predicament, brother.” Elijah scolded as he, too, set the shiny black-and-gold tablecloths. “Plus, she’s right.”

“You’ve said.” Klaus replied bitterly. “Several times, if memory serves.”

“Well Hayley doesn’t trust you, and she’s quite right. Freya and Finn are roaming around the city, working together if we can trust our intuition. The wolves don’t trust the vampires, the political tension across town can be cut with a knife and then served as cake. So when my sister puts aside her own worries to help you with your own problems by doing something as simple as throwing a party, brother,” Elijah looked at Klaus with condescension and worry, “I listen.”

“Whose side are you on, brother?” Klaus spat.

“Who do you really want to ask that question to, Nik?” Elijah provoked.

“I think that’d be me.” A voice said from behind Klaus. Elijah raised his gaze to the speaker, and nodded in acknowledgment. Klaus whirled, and found Kol standing before him with Davina, Stiles, and Kai, all holding a laughably large amount of black and gold paper cups, napkins, streamers, confetti, and masks.

“Took you long enough.” Klaus grumbled.

Kol chuckled as he stepped forward lazily. “We stopped for lunch, Klaus.” He shoved his party supplies harshly into Klaus’ arms with an expression daring Klaus to have an outburst, all the while, Klaus seethed. “Problem?” Klaus placed the party supplies on a nearby table in a huff before storming away. Stiles, Kai, and Davina quickly disposed of theirs on the same table, and the four turned to leave, but Elijah quickly put a hand on Stiles’ shoulder, stopping him and the others from moving.

“Kol,” he directed, not taking his eyes off of Stiles’ wary ones, “do help Jackson hang the garlands. You’re certainly tall enough. Davina, you’ll find Rebekah in the kitchen. Help smooth things over so that the kitchen staff doesn’t get murdered mere hours before the party. Your friends should be along shortly.”

Kol and Davina looked at each other worriedly, but Elijah ushered them on their ways. “Go on!” They scuttled off in a hurry.

In Kol and Davina’s absence, Elijah quickly removed his hand from Stiles’ shoulder, and gestured for Kai to come closer. Kai, who had been frozen mid-stride, facing direction of the staircase, where Kol had gone up, reluctantly turned to the pair and marched solemnly over. He straightened his black blazer methodically, clearly a sign of nerves.

“There’s no need to be nervous, boy.” Elijah said kindly, all too good at reading people’s subtleties. “I merely wish to re-introduce myself.”

“Is that necessary?” Stiles croaked, his voice hoarse from nerves. He looked at Elijah with fear, wonder, and curiosity.

“Given that the last-and first- time I saw you you bartered my brother’s life, trapped me and my other siblings in a crypt and rendered my sister unconscious, yes, I think it’s necessary.” Elijah said somewhat sharply. “Or rather, I’m giving _you_ the opportunity to re-introduce yourselves to me. Particularly, to apologize, and to swear you mean no harm to my family.”

Stiles and Kai were speechless. Kai straightened his blazer again, Stiles merely gulped.

“Kai,” Elijah continued, shooting the witch the deadliest of kind glares, “You are a very powerful witch, my brother and I have witnessed it first handedly. However, I concur that you pose no threat to my family. It’s a shame you did not know what you were getting into when you associated yourself with your-” he glanced at Stiles disjointly, “-friend. There are centuries of history telling of the misuse of witches by hunters and vampires alike. Do try to make better judgement in the future.” Elijah inclined his head, indication Kai should follow Kol up the stairs. Kia stumbled, tripping over his own feet, in his haste to run away. “Oh, and do wash that shirt!” Elijah called after him.

Stiles watched Kai go away, and then up, up the stairs, before returning his gaze to Elijah, who was watching him grimly.

Correction.

Stiles watched Kai run away, then away some more, before turning around with an undeniable expression of pure glee on his face. _Nailed it!_ he mouthed, before stomping up the steps hurriedly. Meanwhile, Elijah marveled at Stiles’ _highly permeable_ expression of fear, wonder, and curiosity.

“You can drop the act, Stiles. It takes a little more than some bad acting to convince me you’re terrified.”

Stiles jumped at the accusation he knew was coming, and settled into a blank expression.

Elijah sighed. “Hunters, with their manipulations. That man is a very powerful witch and you have him strung along and afraid. Me, of all people.”

Stiles nodded along absently with his best shameful expression. This is good. _He saw through my act but not Kai’s, just as planned. We still have some tricks up our sleeves._

“I knew your brothers.” Elijah continued, snapping Stiles back to reality. “Very briefly, but I knew them all the same. If they could see you now...”

“Well they can’t.” Stiles said sharply. “That’s the thing about hunting, it isn’t a very dependable career.”

If Elijah was surprised at Stiles’ rudeness, he didn’t show it. “I know.” he said instead. “I’ve been around for a long time. I’ve seen werewolf and vampire hunters turn into an intricate network of warriors. I even had a hand in the founding of the Men of Letters.”

“The what?” Stiles asked.

Elijah studied Stiles quizzically. “No, I suppose you’d know nothing about that. Damn Henry and his spells...” he trailed off, leaving Stiles looking lost. “It is not of import.”

“Whatever.” Stiles said, a bit more nicely than before.He stuck out his hand. “That reintroduction you mentioned.” Elijah stared down Stiles, his head tilting to the side, deciding whether or not Stiles had earned his trust. Deciding he had, he took Stiles’ hand, wincing slightly at Stiles’ strong grip.

“My name is Stiles Winchester.” Stiles began as the two shook hands. “I’m a hunter, my brothers are hunters, and I’ve killed before. I live in harmony with a pack of wolves, and I don’t try to hurt people. Not unless I have to.” Elijah nodded in agreement. “You have my word that I mean the Mikaelson family no harm.”

“And if you’re lying?” Elijah asked steelily.

Stiles grinned mirthlessly. “Feel free to pay me a visit in California.” He dropped his hand, shifting his sleeve a little. “I’m gonna go join my friends now, if that’s all right.”

Elijah gave the boy a curt nod, satisfied with their exchange. “I look forward to seeing you at the party.”

“Yeah.” Stiles muttered as he turned his back on the vampire, strutting across the black-and-gold courtyard, skirting around vampires and werewolfs, up a snaking staircase and into the room he woke up in. There he found Kai, Kol, Davina, and Josh sprawled in a circle across the three beds.

“I see you managed to escape my brother.” Kol said languidly, but he lacked his signature smile.

“Eventually.” Stiles said as he plopped down across from Kai. The two made eye contact briefly and Stiles nodded, indicating the ruse had worked.

“Kai, you’re quite the actor.” Davina complemented.

“Why, thank you!” Kai exclaimed, standing up and giving her an over the top bow. “I’m flattered.” He sat back down, but he, too, seemed deflated of his usual persona.

“What’s going on?” Stiles asked. “You guys seem a little tense.”

Davina and Josh shared a glance.

“I- It’s nothing,” Davina rushed to reassure. “It’s just- Josh listened in on your conversation with Elijah, and he was acting-” she hesitated. “-really weird.”

“I know.” Stiles said. “I’ve heard a lot about the guy.”

“And?” Kai asked.

“Check your pockets.”

Kai did, rifling through his jean pockets for several seconds. “Where’s the-”

Stiles smacked his silver knife down into the middle of the circle.

“Oh, nice swipe!” Kai said happily, but a curt look form Stiles shut him down.

“I put this knife over the edge of my palm when Elijah and I shook hands. He flinched, from what he thinks is the grip, but really, it was his skin sizzling off.”

Davina and Josh stared at Stiles with open mouths, but Kol merely looked grim.

“What does this mean?” Davina asked.

“It means the person downstairs Stiles conversed with is not actually my brother.” Kol said darkly.

“No,” Stiles agreed. “He’s a shifter.”


	9. Black Holes, Gold Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is inspired by the song "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden. I recommend giving it a listen. Enjoy!

Ch. 9

Black Holes, Gold Sun

“We should be there soon.” Derek grumbled from the back seat of Stiles’ jeep. It was mid afternoon, and they were only just then crossing the border into Louisiana.

“Sour wolf is right.” Damon said from the front seat. “We should be there by 8.” Derek sighed at the nickname but wisely stayed silent.

 

If you’ve forgotten about Kira, Mason, Liam, and Malia, well, that’d be because they were currently standing at the side of a highway in upper Louisiana with a smoking car. Naturally, squabbling ensued.

“I told you the check engine light was on!” Mason yelled exasperatedly at Kira. “Five times!”

Kira looked, there was really no other word for it, sad. “I’m sorry!” she lamented. “I haven’t actually driven in a long time!”

Malia and Liam, lost, decided to use their werewolf (/coyote) strength to kick rocks into the nearby expanse of land. So far Malia was winning.

As luck would have it, a spacious white car barreled down the highway before coming to a stop in front of the gang. The supernaturals, (and Mason), stared in awe. There had only been a few cars to come down the highway in the hour since they had pulled over, and none had stopped.

The windows to the car rolled down, and Kira could see a cute-looking young blond couple, probably in college. A woman was driving, her long blond hair shining in the golden afternoon sun, and a man was next to her, strong looking, but also a little lost.

“What happened here?” The woman asked with a sympathetic smile.

“Our engine broke down.” Kira replied, kindly, if not cautiously.

“Aw that’s too bad.”

“They should be fine with a jump start.” The man said curtly, and Kira felt a twinge of dislike for this guy’s lack of concern. They would not be fine with a jump start, their engine was smoking!

Luckily, the woman also seemed to realize it.”Nonsense!” she said with a regal twirl of her hand. “We have plenty of room in the car. Are you guys by any chance going to New Orleans?”

“Uh, we are, actually.” Kira replied.

The smile the woman offered was downright angelic, and Kira immediately felt like she could trust her. “Then grab your stuff and get in!”

Kira, Malia, Liam, and Mason complied, if Mason was grumbling a little bit about his car. The back seat of the woman’s car was, miraculously, big enough for them all to fit comfortably with their bags. Up close, Kira could see that the couple was closer to her age than she originally thought. Probably freshly graduated, only a year older than Kira herself. Once they were all settled, the couple turned around.

“I’m Caroline.” The woman said. “And that’s Matt.” Her companion shot her a pointed glare, but Caroline sagely ignored it. With a grin, she turned on the radio, stepped on the gas, and headed as far as her black heart would take her.

 

“What do you mean we’re not going after Elijah?” Kol yelled angrily in Stiles’ face. Stiles, to his credit, was not intimidated, merely keeping his firm stance and grim expression as the two stood in Kol’s room.

“Well I meant to assume you were a rational person.” Stiles quipped. “My mistake.”

Kol ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “This is my brother, Stiles! We have to do something!”

“Hey!” Stiles snapped. “You think you’re the only one whose brother has been replaced by a monster?”

His angry tone made Kol pause. Kol’s face fell from desperate to confused, and he gestured for Stiles to explain.

“When I was ten,” Stiles began, softer now, “A couple weeks after my mom died and John took off, my brother was framed for the murder of five women by a shifter in St. Louis. He was hunted by the cops for years. Then, last year, he and Sam were framed again, by Leviathans. That was a day before- before- before-” Stiles took a deep breath. “Before _I_ showed up. Only I wasn’t exactly myself.”

“And then it was your turn to get replaced.” Kol finished, understanding. “Possessed, I remember. Then cloned. Like your brothers, you know exactly what it’s like to stare at yourself in the mirror and expect to see something so much darker.”

“It’s almost worse than possession.” Stiles said in agreement, “because it isn’t even your hands, but you still feel responsible.” He gulped, collecting himself. “That’s why we have to be careful, Kol. For Elijah’s sake as much as ours. We can’t push the shifter into lashing out.”

Both Stiles and Kol turned sharply when the door opened, and Davina poked her head in.

“Are you two done?” she asked hopefully. “I’ve been stuck with Kai, putting up streamers. It’s been a nightmare.”

“Yeah, we’re done.” Stiles said with a sigh. He and Kol glanced at each other meaningfully before rushing to rescue Davina.

 

“We need a game plan.” Derek said abruptly from the back seat of Stiles’ jeep as the supernaturals tore down the dusty highway.

“I agree.” Bonnie said next to him. “We can’t just show up and expect him to come quietly.”

“Why the hell not?” Damon whined angrily from the front seat, possibly on edge from the excessive driving.

Bonnie sighed at his temper. “Well for starters, we have no idea where he’s going to be.”

“We have no idea if Stiles will be in transportable condition.” Derek added. “Or if he can even walk.”

Scott flinched at that.

“We have no idea if Kai has backup.” Bonnie continued.

“We have no idea if Stiles will even trust us, I mean, the guy is manipulative.” Derek interjected.

“Not to mention we will have to somehow pull this off without the witches, the vampires, the werewolves, or the Originals knowing we were even there.” Bonnie finished with a flourish.

“Alright, alright!” Damon said, annoyed. He knew when he was outnumbered. “You got any bright ideas then, Bon-Bon?”

Derek raised an eyebrow at the nickname while Bonnie quietly seethed. “Reconnaissance.” she ground out. “Scout before we make our move.”

Damon sighed deeply. “It’s as good of a plan as any, I suppose.”

A stifling silence filled the jeep, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Scott, in an attempt to break it, turned on the radio. "Black Hole Sun", a 90’s grunge song, blared through the speakers. Only the first few bars rang before Damon switched the radio off in disgust.

Derek raised an eyebrow again, this time inquisitively. “You don’t like Soundgarden?”

Damon scowled. “Trust me. I have had enough of 90’s music for a lifetime. Maybe five.”

 

_“Black hole sun, won’t you co-ome, and wash away the rain? Black hole sun, won’t you co-ome, won’t you come?”_

It was an odd sight, Stiles supposed, to see a terrifying sociopath break out into song while working, and it was downright humorous in comparison to the day he was having. Nevertheless, here was Kai, on one of the balconies surrounding the plaza at the center of the house, standing on his tiptoes while he stuck streamers to the ceiling, humming a slow rock song that seemed so out of place of his surroundings. Kai was focused, mouthing the words thoughtfully while he extended his arms above his head and gently pressed the black crepe paper to a piece of tape lying in wait. Careful was not a word Stiles would use to describe Kai, not at first, anyway; Kai’s exuberance and sharp persona made him seem rash and sloppy. But now, as Stiles watched Kai work, he could see the opposite was true. Kai, behind his act, was cold, but he was also calculating. Every move he made had a purpose, he rarely, if ever, made mistakes. He didn’t _need_ stealth. He was just so good at planning that everything would go his way regardless of the attention he drew towards himself.

_So,_ Stiles couldn’t help but wonder, _what’s his plan now?_ Stiles didn’t doubt that he had one. Even with the roadblocks they currently faced, such as Elijah, the party, Klaus, and Bonnie, Stiles didn’t think for a second that Kai would be unprepared.

Kai, as if reading Stiles’ mind, chose that moment to finish taping his streamer. He winked at Stiles as he passed, shoving past him along the narrow balcony hallway.

_What are you planning?_ Stiles wondered again.

Kai’s mischievous grin seemed answer his question with _wouldn’t you like to know?_

 

_“Times are gone for honest men, and sometimes far too long for snakes. In my shoes, a walking sleep, and my youth I pray to keep. Heaven sent Hell away, no one sings like you anymore. Black hole sun, won’t you co-ome, and wash away the rain...”_

Lydia scrunched her nose up in discomfort as the song warbled out of the radio. Jeremy, however, was nodding his head to the rhythm. Although they had only met that morning, the two high school seniors were already fairly comfortable with one another. So, it struck Lydia as odd when Jeremy scoffed at a song he had appeared to be enjoying.

“1994.” Jeremy snarled. “Figures.”

“What do you have against 1994?” Lydia inquired. “Aside from the fact that it was like three years before you were born?”

“It’s the year of Malachi Parker.”

Lydia blinked, clearly confused. “What, was that when he was born? Cause Scott said he was around twenty, so I guess that’d make sense...”

“No.” Jeremy contradicted firmly. “Technically the guy should be 42. He’s from a family of witches, when he was 22 he killed just about all of his siblings in a power grab. The rest of his coven imprisoned him, locking him in permanently on the day of the massacre.”

“May 10th, 1994.” Lydia finished.

Jeremy jumped. “How do you know that?”

Lydia looked sheepish. “I’m a banshee,” she said casually. Jeremy looked at her a little weirdly, but gestured for her to continue. “Death comes with the territory. Since I’ve tapped into it, my powers get stronger. I’m getting better at pinpointing when/who/where the death that I’m predicting is. But something I’ve found out- the future is a lot harder than the past.” She smiled sadly. “The past is easy. While banshees start out by predicting future events, eventually, they discover that it can work both ways. So big dates in history, things that leave a strong imprint, like the invasion of Normandy, someone could just start to talk about it and I’ll get a bad feeling. A massacre of witches, that’s powerful. You began to give details, and I was able to pinpoint a date.”

Jeremy nodded, taking that in. “That’s horrible.”

Lydia shrugged. “That’s life. I knew I got a bad feeling from Kai, just by hearing about him.”

“What-” Jeremy began tentatively, almost afraid to ask. “What can you tell about our future. About Stiles.”

Lydia frowned, deep in thought. “It’s hard. I know that you’ve died several times, and that’s interfering with any feelings for you. All I’m getting is the buzzing. But-” her voice broke, just a little, “that’s very bad.”

Jeremy nodded again, slower, mulling it over. “Son of a bitch.” he murmured.

“What?” Lydia asked, startled by his sudden declaration.

“That song.” Jeremy said. “It pretty much sums up the prison world. ‘My youth I prayed to keep?’ Kai didn’t age a day.”

“‘Times are gone for honest men.’” Lydia added.

“Then there was that damn eclipse every day.” Jeremy added. “No rain. That black sun.”

“Black!” Lydia exclaimed suddenly. She nearly crashed the car in her surprise. “I’m getting black.”

“Not a good sign.” Jeremy mused. Lydia shook her head. Jeremy, feeling hopeless, turned the radio back on.

 

_“‘Black hole sun! Black hole sun!’”_ Caroline sang the harmony to the ending chorus. It repeated several times, all of which she performed dutifully. As the last bars of the song rang out, Matt took the opportunity to whisper furtively to her.

“Caroline, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. Luckily, the poor kids in the back were too busy talking amongst themselves to notice.

“Whatever do you mean?” Caroline asked with simpering feigned innocence. She batted her eyelashes a few times to drive the point home.

“Why pick up those high schoolers, Caroline? It definitely wasn’t out of the goodness of your heart.”

“No, it’s out of the goodness of theirs.” she mused. “I can hear them beating.” Matt recoiled, shocked. “You may have realized by now, Matt, that I’m not going to kill you yet. So no ones going to miss a couple hitchhikers when I decide to have a snack.”

“Caroline!” Matt whispered, astonished.

Caroline chuckled breezily. “Relax, Matt. I’m not a total monster. I’ll take them to New Orleans first.”

 

_New Orleans_. Kai thought ruefully as he collapsed on one of Kol’s spare mattresses. _City of untapped potential._

Released from Rebekah’s clutches just as the sun had begun to lower in the sky, Kai was left alone to his thoughts. Stiles and Kol had gone to fetch the dagger and any other hunting supplies they might need. Davina had gone to find things for them all to wear, bless her. Kai chuckled as he gazed at the sunwashed golden walls. They really shouldn’t have left him alone. Who knows what he might do?

They could laugh off the mania in his eyes. They could pretend his plan didn’t exist. They could study him until he was under a microscope. They could outrun him, stave off the inevitable.

But no one stops Kai, not really.

They thought he was joking, but no, when Kai had knocked Stiles Winchester out with that spell, he had looked into his mind. Black tar, clinging to his psyche, still whispering. Only it wasn’t foreign. It was 100% Stiles.

They thought he was lying, but no. No one goes through what Kol Michaelson has and come out unscathed. His body is possessed, only he is the demon. A demon with three different timelines as three different species, as well as one death, one afterlife, and one hopeless werewolf. No, the bloodlust is not gone. It lives in Isaac Lahey.

The thought he was only power hungry, but no again. Kai never missed anything, and he didn’t miss Davina’s hesitation to take down her enemy. Or rather, her lack of hesitation. He did his homework. She used to be filled to the brim with power, power that scars. She thinks she’s being noble, but really, she’s being murderous. There’s a darkness in Davina Claire, a need to prove herself. To prove to herself that she can be strong. Except she can, more than she knows. She’s just temporarily lost. After all, it isn’t the road to heaven that’s paved with good intentions.

They thought they could outsmart him, the wily fox, the trickster, the witch. Foxes, all of them. Some of them even in name. But no. That’s where they’re wrong. Kai isn’t one step ahead. He’s behind. He’s sneaking up from behind, ready to stab his enemy in the back, and do horrors upon his friends.

Kai grinned. _Friends._ He had friends now! What fun! So many new toys to break. How fortunate so many of them are about to snap. It isn’t just his current companions, no. He did his homework, after all. Bonnie, Caroline, Scott, Damon, Lydia, Klaus, Elijah, hell, even Jeremy. They were all coming, and he was ready to break them all. The ultimate battle of wits. Your mind, versus your friends, versus yourself.

Wow. He really was a black hearted son of a bitch.

Kai chuckled again, and put on the black-and-gold mask Rebekah had found for him. It was shiny and black, and covered his eyes and nose. Around the edges were beautiful gold swirls, reaching towards the center, and sticking out from the back were two little pointed ears. Once he adjusted the mask in the mirror, Kai had to admit that he did look good. He also had to admit that by his calculations, Stiles’ friends should be arriving in the Quarter at about 8:00. Kai grinned. Just in time for the party. This was going to be so much fun.

After all, no one can outfox Malachi Parker.


	10. Masks

Ch. 10

Masks

The sun set with a bang, as pinks and reds washed over Kol’s room. Stiles watched it go, fidgeting a little in the charcoal suit Davina had dug up. His life was so hectic, he tried to remember the last time he had watched the sun set. At first he came up blank, but then it hit him.

_Stiles was the one standing by the door, he had made sure of that. So it was no surprise that when the demon came, Stiles was his first choice of hostage. Just as intended. The Colt was in his waistband, his pack looked positively terrified... Good. He would finish off the son of a bitch for good._

“Let me guess,” Kol drawled as he lazily entered the room, “You were thinking about a dusty old gun and a shot in the head.”

“Yeah.” Stiles said, surprised. He turned around to face Kol. Decked out in a black suit and a gold tie, Kol looked positively regal, like he belonged in the insane setting that was New Orleans. “How’d you know?”

“Cause that’s what he would be thinking about.” Kol responded, tapping the top of his head to indicate he meant Isaac. “The boy didn’t see very many pretty sunsets. One look out the window and that memory flashed to the forefront of my mind.”

“Isaac’s sentimental like that.” Stiles joked, but it pained him to take the memory of his friend so lightly.

Kol, seeming to sense this, backed off of the topic. “Davina’s dealing with Kai right now.” He chuckled. “He’s fussy, for a sociopath.”

Stiles laughed half-heartedly, faltering when he thought about the promise Kai made. To make him crazy. It had really only been a day...

Kol turned on his heel to leave, but then mid step turned around again. He dug something out of his suit jacket and threw it to Stiles. “Catch, mate.” Stiles caught it. It was a silver mask, covering not just the eyes but the entire face. It was hideous. It had a defined nose, with a snarling mouth housing several sharp teeth. Several folds surrounded it’s snarling features. The eyes were wide and hollow. The eyes were glowing yellow...

Stiles took a shuddering breath, steadying himself. _Calm down, there are no glowing eyes because it’s an empty MASK! Anyway, it’s just a coincidence. Just a coincidence._ “Silver, huh?” Stiles asked. “Doesn’t that go against Rebekah’s theme?”

Kol shrugged. “I don’t know man, aren’t you one for standing out? Besides, Rebekah didn’t pick this. Kai found it somewhere and thought you would like it.”

At this point, Stiles wasn’t even surprised. “This.” He held up the mask to Kol incredulously. “Kai thought I’d like this.”

Kol shrugged again. “Yeah, I don’t know. It’s wolfy.”

“Oh-oh, you have no idea.” Stiles muttered. He held up the mask to Kol again. “You don’t recognize this? Nothing at all? No feelings or anything?”

Kol frowned. “No, why would I? Everyone around the quarter tends to do things a little more traditionally. I- should I? Does this have something to do with Isaac?”

“Well- yeah.” Stiles admitted. “I’d think you’d get something. Just a weird vibe.”

Kol’s frown became more pronounced. He stepped slowly towards the mask, which Stiles was holding at an arm’s length. “No I-” he muttered uncertainly. He took a couple steps. “It’s weird, I, I guess now that you mention it I do feel kind of strange.” More steps. “Sad-ish. Frustrated. Maybe even a little angry.” He reached for the mask as if in a trance, and at the last minute, Stiles snapped it back.

“You know what? Never mind.” Stiles said quickly. “It’s nothing. I’m being stupid. Why don’t you go help Davina? Her dress looks like it has a lot of buttons.” Stiles’ voice had gotten unnaturally high pitched.

Kol was still looking concernedly at the mask, but nodded to show that he had heard. “Yeah.” he said a little dazed, still transfixed, “That’s a good idea.” He walked slowly out of the room, his eyes on the mask until he closed the door.

Once Kol was gone, Stiles breathed a sigh of relief. He picked up the mask and scoffed at it. So this was Kai’s great plan. Stiles had to admit, it was good. Simple. It unnerved both Isaac and Stiles immensely with one stroke. And if Isaac was unnerved, then so was Kol. An ex blood bathing vampire with a werewolf’s unchecked rage...

_I could just not wear it._ Stiles thought. But he knew that was ridiculous. If Stiles didn’t play along then Kai would just do something worse. Stiles sighed as he put on the horrible mask. So not only would he be standing out in a silver mask, he would be dressed like an Oni. Fantastic.

 

“Kira!” Malia hissed furtively. “Something’s wrong.”

“What is it, Malia?” Kira asked with an exasperated sigh. The werecoyote had been badgering her every since she had stepped into the car.

“The girl. She smells funny.”

Kira sighed into the setting sun. “Malia, you’re being ridiculous. Liam can’t smell anything. You’re fine.” However, she kept her sword close, just in case.

 

“Jeremy, wake up!” Lydia said, poking the sleeping Gilbert in the shoulder.

Jeremy, with his hunter’s reflexes, jumped up from his uncomfortable sleeping position with immense haste, startling Lydia. “What’s going on?”

“Get out of the car.” Lydia said, eyeing the glowing mansion ahead of them with apprehension. “We’re here.”

 

Davina had just finished putting on her button-up gold dress when a knock came at the door. Frowning, she walked over to it, her black heels clicking on the floor of Rebekah’s room. She wasn’t surprised to see Kol. She was surprised to see the dazed expression on his face, as if he had woken suddenly from a terrible dream.

“Davina.” he breathed, taking in her appearance. “You look lovely.” Her dress was beautiful, bright gold with darker floral designs covering it as it cinched around her waist and flared into a skirt that ended just above her knees, a row of white buttons along her back.

“Thanks.” Davina said hesitantly. “Are you alright, Kol?”

“No.” Kol said sternly, his dazed look dropping to cool indifference. “No, I’m not alright. Kai is playing some kind of game, and I can’t figure it out.”

“What do you mean?” Davina asked curiously. Kai puzzled her. She knew Kai was a supposed sociopath, and he annoyed her with his teasing, but Davina had never seen anything from him to suggest malicious behavior. Stiles had told her that he had apparently killed his whole family, and Kai was fine with that being public knowledge. And yet, the way he acted, it was easy to forget that. Now, though, with Kol’s strange behavior, Davina was on alert.

“The mask that Kai gave Stiles,” Kol was saying, “Stiles looked at it like he was horrified. Then he took it and I felt- weird. It wasn’t just the mask, it was Stiles and the mask. For whatever reason, the combination made me- made _Isaac_ \- uneasy. I couldn’t explain it. Normally, when something has to do with Isaac, I remember. It’s like how I knew who Stiles was the moment I saw him. But this time, nothing. Just a vat of anger, and I didn’t know why. It scared me. Stiles knew, though, I could see it in his eyes. He didn’t tell me, like he knew whatever it was would make me unhinged. I’m scared, though. Kai did this on purpose and I’m scared it’s going to happen tonight.”

Davina took this all in. “What did the mask look like?”

“Horrible.” Kol spat. “Silver and wrinkly with a mouth of sharp teeth.”

“He could just not wear it.”

Kol laughed bitterly. “No, Davina. If he doesn’t, Kai will do something much worse. I know how sociopaths operate. I used to be one.”

“But not anymore.” Davina said gently. Sh reached up her hand and slowly cupped Kol’s cheek. Kol held her hand there and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. “Listen to me, we’ll get through this. We’ll take out Klaus, we’ll give Kai what he wants, and then the two will be out of our lives. Understand, Kol?”

Kol opened his eyes and nodded swiftly. Then, with a swift kiss of Davina’s cheek, he was gone.

Davina closed her eyes, enjoying a simple moment of silence. Sighing, she reached for her own simple black mask.

“Kai, you can come out now.”

Kai Parker stepped out from behind a nearby curtain, immaculately dressed in a crisp black suit and a gold tie, much like Kol.

“Do we have a deal?”

Davina’s face was grim as she made to hand him the dagger that had been lying on her dresser.

“I made you the Oni mask. I threw Kol off of our trail. I’ll look the other way in regards to anything you do tonight.” she said resignedly as she placed the dagger gingerly into his outstretched palms. Kai grinned through the entire transaction.

“And I’ll stab the Original hybrid and take his army far away from New Orleans, just like I promised.” he replied. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.” Kai made his way past her to the door. “Oh, and if you try to magic your way out of this little deal, your boyfriend dies.”

Before Davina could protest, Kai was gone, and Davina was left staring at herself in the mirror and wondering when she’d lost her mind.

 

The party started at 8’oclock sharp, and soon the plaza of the Mikaelson house was teeming with city goes. Black and Gold skirts swirled to the ambient music as Rebekah Mikaelson pushed through the crowd towards where her brother stood waiting at the makeshift bar. The whole town had been invited, and the whole town came, tourists, shopkeepers, witches, wolves, vampires. Rebekah had to fight through all of them in her simple black sheath dress and pure gold mask to get to where Klaus stood.

“Rebekah.” Klaus remarked. “You look lovely.” Although the body she currently occupied was a good deal shorter than her other one, and her hair much more pronounced, Klaus could hardly deny that the girl with the furious glare was anyone other than his sister.

“Thanks.” Rebekah said a bit icily, not trusting anything Niklaus would say after complimenting her. “I was so busy planning his party, I thought I’d keep it simple. Where are the guests of honor?”

“Jackson and Hayley are at the center of the dance floor.” Klaus drawled, gesturing to the center of the plaza, not even bothering to hide his contempt for the couple. “Hope is upstairs being watched, and the slightly more sane brother who hasn’t taken in several strays is making his way over here- now.”

Klaus took a sip of the drink he had been nursing just as Elijah burst through the throng of partygoers. As Elijah said hello to Rebekah, Klaus studied him. It was odd how he could recognize his sister in a heartbeat even though she was in someone else’s body. The same could even be said for Kol, though it had taken longer to realize. Elijah, however... ever since his mother’s meddling, Elijah had been acting odd. Only now, as of recently, even more so. Klaus would have to keep an eye on him.

“It’s a lovely party, Rebekah.” Elijah proclaimed. “But where is Kol?”

Klaus raised his gaze to the grand staircase. “There, brother.” Kol descended the magnificent staircase with Davina on his arm, in front of the hunter and the witch, wearing a mask identical to his brothers. Black, with gold swirls towards the center. The strange warlock, Klaus noted, was wearing one of a similar variation, and an outfit similar to the rest of the men. He, lacking Kol’s height or social stature, could easily be lost among a crowd. The hunter, however... a gray suit and a fearsome silver mask that clashed so horribly with the theme to the point where it worked. Kol caught Klaus’ eye as he descended, and ruefully made his way over to where the rest of his family stood.

“Kol.” Klaus greeted cooly.

“Klaus.” Kol replied, just as frigid. Kol’s friends merely looked on grimly.

Suddenly, a crash came from somewhere near the door to the house. It was the sound of broken glass.

“What on earth?” Rebekah asked, peering around her brothers to get a look through the throng of people. “Oh, someone just dropped a glass. I really wish people would be more careful. They aren’t even dressed up!”

“Wait, what did you just say?” Stiles asked Rebekah urgently.

“You’re paranoid, even for a hunter.” she commented disdainfully. Stiles gestured for her to continue, and she complied, albeit rolling her eyes. “There’s a young couple by the door dressed in street clothes. The woman dropped a champagne flute. It’s fine, I guess. Someone will clean it up, and since the whole town was invited I could hardly expect everyone to dress up, though.”

Stiles wasn’t paying attention after Rebekah had mentioned the woman. “What color was her hair?” he asked madly.

Rebekah looked astonished at so random a question. “Red. Shocking bright red.”

“Lydia.” Stiles muttered.

“Lydia?” Kol asked panickedly. “She’s here?”

Klaus narrowed his eyes. “Kol, you know this woman?”

Kol rapidly shook his head. “Never met her before.” Klaus listened to his hammering heart beat, and yet, impossibly, he got the feeling his brother was telling the truth. “My new body on the other hand-”

“Kol!” Klaus snarled. “I told you what would happen if other people from your former life-”

“Well it isn’t exactly my fault, is it, Niklaus?” Kol sneered.

“Both of you, shut it!” Rebekah snapped. Miraculously, her brothers quieted down and resorted to glowering at eachother. Scoffing at their behavior, Rebekah craned her neck to get a look at her guest. “She’s coming this way.” she remarked. Then, her eyes widened. “Oh bloody hell, she’s with Jeremy Gilbert.”

Kol turned ghost white. “What do we do?” he hissed.

“That boy would be stupid to try anything here.” Klaus stated.

“Relax, Kol.” Davina comforted her boyfriend. “Why don’t I go talk to them?” Before Kol could protest, she slipped out of his arm and scurried away, leaving him staring blankly after her.

Taken aback, Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus turned to Stiles and his warlock friend, only the two were nowhere to be seen. Upon hearing the word ‘Lydia,’ Kai had grabbed Stiles’ arm with a vice like grip and had dragged the protesting hunter away from the group, vanishing into the crowd.

 

“Why are we here, Lydia?” Jeremy asked, shouting over the music. He looked very uncomfortable amidst a sea of masked party-goers, the bright hanging lights doing nothing to hide his nervousness.

“10 vampires hacked to pieces in New Mexico, and you’re afraid of a party?” Lydia asked incredulously.

“Dozens of buildings on the street we parked, Lydia, and you chose to enter this one. The most conspicuous, loudest one, where we stand out the most. Why look for Stiles here, Lydia?” Jerem fixed her a stern stare.

Lydia sighed. “I don’t know, Jeremy, it just felt right. When I looked at the building, the buzzing got louder. Like I was closing in.”

Jeremy nodded curtly. “Ok.” he said, casting his eyes upon his dense surroundings. “So he’s here. The question is, where? This party is huge, it’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“Agreed.” Lydia murmured. “It doesn’t help that all the guys are wearing virtually the same thing.”

“Or that everyone’s wearing masks.” Jeremy muttered disgruntledly. He took a step back to take in his surroundings better, only to end up bumping into an elderly woman. The woman, in her surprise, dropped her champagne flute, which fell to the floor and shattered with a loud CRACK! at Lydia’s feet.

The sound wasn’t loud, not in comparison to the music, so those who did notice looked away quickly with disinterest. A uniformed woman rushed over and promptly swept up the glass. Jeremy was apologizing to the woman.

“I am so sorry, ma’am!” he professed. The woman, unfazed, merely waved him away before returning to her conversation. Jeremy reeled back.

“Wow.” Lydia commented. “It’s like we’re in a whole other world.”

“Yeah.” Jeremy said distractedly. He was no longer looking at the spill on the stone floor. He was looking ahead of him deep into the crowd. “Lydia.” he said urgently, not taking the eyes off of his object, instead grasping Lydia’s hand. “Look over there.”

Lydia followed his finger and saw only an undistinguished crowd of people. “What should I be looking at?”

“Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson.” Jeremy spat. Lydia raised an eyebrow at the obvious contempt. “They’re over there. Crap. I knew they lived in New Orleans! I wasn’t thinking! Of course out of all of the places in New Orleans, Stiles is at their house.”

“It makes sense.” Lydia offered, as she followed Jeremy deeper into the crowd. “Kai’s power hungry. He’d go right to the top.” Lydia huffed as she and Jeremy made headway into the masked masses. They rattled off apologies left and right, until Jeremy came to a screeching hault. Lydia almost barreled into him.

“Lydia, I love parties.” Jeremy said rather suddenly, looking a little dazed.  
“So?” Lydia asked, annoyed.

“So I’m not usually like this!” he exclaimed with a large hand gesture. “Teeth grit and on edge. It makes sense now.”

“What makes sense?” Lydia asked exasperatedly, desperate to just find Stiles and be done with it.

Jeremy turned slowly on the spot, doing a 360 degree turn around the mansion. “If this is the Mikaelson house,” he said, “any one of these people could be supernatural. My hunter instincts are in overdrive.”

Lydia looked to her immediate left and right upon hearing that, a little unsettled to think that anyone less than shoulder-width apart from her could be a vampire, or worse.

No sooner had Jeremy revealed his revelation than a pretty brunette in a gold dress barreled into him, nearly knocking him to the floor. Before she could, however, Lydia had reached out and steadied the pair. The girl, once steady, took a small step back from Jeremy.

“Oh- I’m so sorry!” she said, flustered, face tomato red from a blush creeping up from her chest. “I was just walking, and then someone pushed me and I-”

“It’s fine.” Jeremy said curtly. Lydia saw his eyes briefly flick to the bar as the girl talked, and then flitted back in satisfaction.

“No really, I-” the girl was saying. Lydia studied her as she rambled. Her dress was nice, obviously, but her hair was in perfect form. If she had been pushed, or even caught in the mass crowd, some damage would have had to be done. No, from the looks of her appearance, and the fierce determination in her eyes, Lydia surmised she had come straight to them from a short distance. The bar, where Jeremy had seen the Mikaelsons, the ‘Originals’ that Stiles had told her extensively about, seemed the right distance.

“I’m sorry.” Lydia said suddenly, cutting off the girl’s spiel, “but do you think we were born yesterday?”

“Lydia!” Jeremy said curtly, shooting her a warning glare. “She just ran into us-”

“Jeremy, you’re good, but you’re an idiot. Her hair’s not messy, she hasn’t been battling a crowd. She was sent by the Originals.”

Shock graced Jeremy’s face, and he whipped his head back to the girl, who’s embarrassment dropped to a placid demeanor.

“When he said you were smart, I clearly underestimated.” the girl said with resignation, but not unhappiness. She quickly offered a small smile and stuck out her hand in greeting. “I’m Davina Claire. I’m a witch.”

“Lydia.” Lydia said as she shook the girl’s hand, a bit surprised at the sudden trust. “Banshee.”

“Jeremy.” Jeremy said a bit untrusting, not offering his hand. “Hunter.”

Davina’s face fell, but only a little.

“Wait,” Lydia asked, “who said I was smart?”

“Stiles.” Davina stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Only, obviously, it wasn’t. Both Lydia and Jeremy started rapidly at the information, and Davina jumped back a little in shock.

“Stiles is _HERE_?” Lydia shouted, relieved and terrified at once. Relieved, because he was apparently in a good enough state to make friends, and terrified, because it meant that the buzzing in her head meant something.

“Yes.” Davina said, a little taken aback, eyeing Lydia warily. “Stiles is here. I’m assuming he told you where to find him.”

“More or less.” Jeremy said bitterly. Lydia had informed him on how they knew to go to New Orleans in the first place. “Can we see him?”

“Sure!” Davina assured, smiling again. “He’s as much a stranger here as you are. Just follow me. He’s over there with my boyfriend.”

As Lydia followed Jeremy and the witch, she couldn’t stop the feeling of relief creeping up on her. New Orleans had been a shot in the dark, a dreg of a half-drunk memory six months old of a tiny conversation in a parallel universe. None of that meant trustworthy. But for the moment, Lydia was thankful she had trusted her own instinct over the words of strangers.

Jeremy hadn’t known Davina was tricking them, he had Lydia to thank for that. He supposed he also had Lydia to thank for delivering him to his revenge, against the people who had tormented his friends, killed his sister (twice), and Jenna, and his uncle, and had left behind a broken and vulnerable town. They didn’t want to see him? Fine. They had started the sibling-killing. Jeremy was completely justified. It was funny, though, in hindsight he could see that Davina was a ploy, a diplomatic envoy of sorts. Because when he had looked over at them, Klaus and Elijah, while talking to her, they had, under their masks, looked at him back.

Davina was happy for Stiles. His friends had shown up and could take him away from this crazy town before he got as entrapped as the rest of them. She wasn’t happy that she had to lead them over to her very, very screwed boyfriend. Just the fear in his eyes when Stiles had mentioned Lydia was palpable. Jeremy had killed him, yes, but Lydia would be able to recognize him. She could only hope her boyfriend was smart enough to ditch the party. Not likely.

“Jeremy Gilbert.” Klaus drawled as the three kids broke from the sea of people by the bar. “As I live and breathe.”

Jeremy’s smile was curt. “Well, we’ll see about that.” Lydia elbowed him in the ribs, but the damage was done. Klaus shot Jeremy a look of death itself, before his mouth creeped into a slow smile.

“How’s Elena?” he goaded.

Jeremy stiffened. Every bone in his body threatened to break out of his skin at the mention of his sister. “Fine.”

“Oh really? Which Salvatore is she leading on now?”

Jeremy took a moment to answer that. His gaze flickered, assessing the stoic Elijah, and the small woman next to him who must be a friend, before answering. “Damon.”

The girl, who was absentmindedly twirling the umbrella in her drink, seemed to start at that. Only slightly, but it was noticed by the keen eyes of Jeremy and Lydia. “Bastard is too good for her.” she mumbled with a British lit.

Jeremy didn’t answer to that. Instead, he looked directly at Elijah and said, “Tatia is dead.”

Elijah blinked slowly a few times. “Oh, that’s a shame.”

The girl froze. Lydia looked at Jeremy questioningly, but he ignored it. It was a test, and Elijah had failed. Davina, unfazed, looked over her shoulder. _Where is Kol?_

Klaus, to his credit, hid his moment of _WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY BROTHER WHO IS THIS IMPOSTER HOW LONG WHY THE HELL DID I NOT NOTICE_ with a rather large sip of scotch. When he set the glass down, the shock was covered up nicely by his mean smirk.

Jeremy was hiding something, too. When Davina had bumped into him, she had very deliberately whispered shifter into his ear. He had passed it off as weird until he had seen Elijah, and has known something was wrong with him.

“We’re here to see Stiles.” Lydia said. “Where is he?”

“Oh, he left, with that warlock.” The girl said. “What was his name. Kai.”

Lydia started, and make what sounded like a choking sound. Alarmed, turned and began to search the crowd frantically. _Buzz. BUZZ._

“WHAT?” Jeremy exclaimed. “You didn’t KILL the guy?”

“Well now why would we do that?” Klaus asked, genuinely curious at the strange behavior of Stiles’ friends. “Yes, I was a little mad about the dagger-” Davina winced. “But I’m not unreasonable. It’s normal for hunters to travel with witches. I mean sure, Kai is powerful but-”

Lydia’s search through the crowd led her to an interesting sight. Her brow furrowed.

“Oh, no!” Jeremy exclaimed, laughing despairingly. “He’s got you fooled!” He pointed, in turn, to the girl, not-Elijah, Klaus, and Davina. “He’s got you all fooled!”

“Care to explain?” the girl asked, annoyed.

Lydia looked positively panicked. “Jeremy...” she warned.

Jeremy ignored her. Turning towards the girl, he said, “Kai’s got you all fooled. He KIDNAPPED Stiles. He brought him here. He’s a powerful witch, alright. He’s the leader of the Gemini cover. A messed up, fratricidal MADHOUSE, and Kai’s the lead psycho. He killed his whole family and spent twenty years in a prison made by Shelia Bennett, escaped, killed MORE of his family, and now he’s got you guys thinking he’s HARMLESS!”

“What?” Klaus hissed dangerously.

“Oh my god.” the girl murmured. “How did we not see-”

“Jeremy!” Lydia shouted.

“Everything he did was calculated.” Jeremy said grimly.

“JEREMY!” Lydia shrieked.

Jeremy turned towards her. “What?”

Lydia pointed with a shaky finger. “I just saw Damon and Kira.”

Jeremy looked astonished, and followed Lydia’s finger. Sure enough, two dark heads shone among the sea of black and gold, far away from each other but both rapidly approaching. Jeremy’s blood chilled, however, when he saw the figure trailing behind the Kitsune.

“Oh no.” he moaned. “Caroline.”

“Caroline.” Lydia stated. “Caroline as in _the vampire who shut off her humanity_ Caroline?”

“Yes.” Jeremy said defeatedly, having been informed of the state of his friend from a quick text from Alaric.

“What?” Klaus asked loudly.

The girl in the black sheath dress elbowed him harshly. “Behave yourself.”

“Rebekah!” Klaus scolded.

Jeremy whirled. “REBEKAH?”

Lydia suddenly let out a cry and clutched her head as the buzzing in her head grew infinitely louder. “We- we need to find Stiles!” she gasped from the pain.

“Well where is he?” not-Elijah asked.

Jeremy grimaced. “In trouble.” He paused, then added, “Shifter.”

Rebekah and Klaus gasped, and backed away from the shifter so fast that they nearly fell over. The shifter merely looked grim.

Davina, unfazed, began to search the heavy crowd too. “I need to find Kaleb!”

“No!” Jeremy yelled. “We need to find Kai!”

“Why would that sociopath come down here in the first place?” Klaus asked angrily. Lydia stopped at that. She turned on the spot and looked at the Original hybrid, and what she saw made her want to scream.

“To kill you.”

Klaus paled, Jeremy faltered, Rebekah nearly fell over, the shifter made a break for it, Damon and Kira and Caroline were all closing in, Davina looked wracked with guilt, and Lydia’s head was about to burst.

Then, as if things couldn’t possibly get any more crazy, the lights shut off.


	11. Going Crazy is Overrated

Ch. 11

Going Crazy Is Overrated

The sea of partygoers all yelled in surprise as the power was shut out, cutting off both the lights and the music, plunging the mansion into darkness.

It wasn’t a regular darkness, however. Davina could barely see two feet in front of her, even with the city lights nearby. Kai must have enhanced the darkness with a spell. A thought struck her. _Where would he get the extra magic?_ But she already knew. _Kol_. Was he with Kai?

 

Stiles pulled his shaking arm from the power switch. _Did I just do that? Did I really just do that?_

“Yeah, you did.”” Kai muttered from his left. Stiles’ gaze snapped to the witch in question, who was leaning casually against the stone wall, a sour look on his face. Stiles faltered at his words.

_Was I speaking out loud?_

“Yeah, you were.” Kai replied snidely, but he didn’t have his trademark I’m-so-happy-to-be-a-murderer grin. He looked concerned, and he stared right through Stiles to the wall as if deep in thought.

“Oh, great.” Stiles muttered. “I’m finally snapping.”

Kai grinned at this. A thin grin stretching unnaturally from ear to ear, skin taut against his tight smile, only his heart (or lack thereof) was clearly not into it. The break in character unnerved Stiles to no end.

“C’mon.” Kai said, grabbing Stiles’ left arm roughly with his right. “We need to keep moving.”

“Why?” Stiles snapped angrily. “So you can do more damage? The lights are already out. I can’t see 20 feet in front of me. The screams from the party are muffled, but you bet I can hear them. There’s _vampires_ and _werewolves_ in there! Tonight’s a full moon! Add a crowded party and a panic and it’s a recipe for mass slaughter! And I’m a culprit! So why shouldn’t I just stay here, Kai? Why shouldn’t I just start fighting back?” Stiles glared as he finished, ripping his arm out of Kai’s grasp. He was angry. Lydia was here, and Jeremy, and Stiles had stupidly put them in danger. Who else had followed?

Kai, the saint of the mad men, preyed on Stiles’ diseased thoughts. He tore his determined gaze from Stiles and turned it to the floor, tracing the stone pattern with his eyes. “All those vampires and werewolves, Stiles,” he murmured threateningly, his mouth curving like a chess player who realized the ingenuity of his next move, “and some of them are looking for you.” His gaze rose sharply to Stiles. His eyes glinted dangerously. He didn’t have to say the ultimatum. It was hanging in between them, the ball in the court of a very long game.

Stiles versus himself. “No.” he croaked. Then, as if knowing what he was about to ask was toxic, “who else?”

Kai smirked simperingly. “At least five, I think. Maybe six.” His nonchalance burned Stiles’ blood. “Kira and Damon. Gosh, they were running so fast, you’d think they’d have bumped into each other. Aaaand.... let’s see! Scott, duh, Derek, Bonnie- oh, I can’t wait to see her! Boy do we have some catching up to do!- your ex, Malia, Liam, his friend, Matt, and Caroline.”

_No._ Stiles thought. _Not Caroline. Not again._

“What, was killing her once not enough, Stiles?” Kai sneered.

“How are you doing that!?!?” Stiles asked, panic starting to creep into his skull.

Kai didn’t respond to that. Instead, he reaffirmed his grip on Stiles’ arm, and kept dragging him.

 

Damon swore as the lights shut off. Behind him, Scott looked panicked, Derek looked annoyed, and Bonnie looked worried. The only reason he could see at all was because he was a vampire, as hordes of partygoers ran around the group towards the only light that could be seen- the door. Damon tried very hard not to think of the likelihood of anyone getting trampled, or the fact that it was a full moon and New Orleans had a reputation for diversity among supernatural creatures. He noticed the werewolves beside him had made their eyes glow, Derek’s a chilling blue and Scott’s a warm red. Damon thought back to when they had arrived in New Orleans a few minutes prior. They had parked the jeep and had almost immediately gravitated towards the animated mansion, Scott, Derek, and Damon sensing the high amount of supernatural creatures. They had walked in, moving quickly, and the lights had shut off. Damon swore.

 

Kira yelped as the lights went out. Beside her, Malia growled. Kira hastened to calm her, reminding her that they were in a ballroom full of panicked civilians. Behind her, Kira thought she heard Caroline sigh. When Kira and her friends had tried to bid goodbye to the blond couple upon arriving in New Orleans, Caroline had insisted they at least attend a party with her. And here they were. They hadn’t needed an invitation, they had merely waltzed into a party of black and gold. Now it was just black.

 

By the bar, all hell had broken loose.

“Klaus!” Rebekah shouted over the din of the rushing guests. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a spell!” Klaus roared back. “Kai! It has to be!”

“Stiles is in trouble!” Lydia shrieked. “He’s going to die!”

Slowed by the darkness, Klaus fumbled for a minute before successfully locating the banshee. He found her bright red hair and grasped it, beginning to twist. Lydia gasped but did not cry out, the pain so much more alien and prominent in the dark. Klaus pulled, and Lydia’s hair, and the girl herself, fell into his immediate reach. He crouched down. “And according to you,” he hissed, deathly quiet, “so am I.”

Jeremy, when he felt Lydia’s reassuring grip be ripped from his own, yelled in outrage. He blindly stalked over to where Klaus was and gave a shove in his general direction, hitting home with Klaus’ stokey shoulders.

“Hey!” Rebekah exclaimed, outraged by the scuffle she heard. “Knock it off!”

Jeremy whirled in Rebekah’s general direction. “You killed my sister!” he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the new witch. “Shut up!”

“I didn’t say you were going to die.” Lydia said sternly to Klaus, calm among the storm. “I said Kai wanted to kill you. I know this because mentioning Kai and looking at you made me want to scream. So for goodness sakes, please put me down.”

Klaus, surprised, reluctantly released Lydia’s hair. She fixed it in a huff before suddenly clutching her head, a small moan escaping her lips as pain and buzzing filled her head.

“Lydia?” Jeremy asked, close enough to sense her location, catching her before she fell. “What’s wrong?”

Lydia sighed deeply, massaging her temples. Her breath was starting to come out in short gasps. “I think- I think-”

 

“Kol!” Davina shouted, weaving through the crowd like a pro as people of all sizes and ages (as well as species) scurried through the house like little black ants. Davina struggled to be heard over the din. “KOL!”

“Davina!” A voice responded, determined and nearby. Davina’s heart soared, and she rushed forward blindly, throwing herself into the arms of Kol Mikaelson.

_“Kol.”_ she breathed, nearly sobbing in relief. She stayed there for a moment, arms flung around his shoulders, an island among a sea of teeming people. But, sadly, the moment could not last, as guilt churned through her like the sea of teeming people. “I thought you were with Kai.” Davina whispered. “I thought he’d gotten your magic. I thought- I thought-” Davina’s breath hitched as sobs threatened to wrack her body. Kol, seeming to understand this, rubbed the space between her shoulder blades soothingly.

“It’s alright, Davina.” he murmured reassuringly. Then he stopped rubbing her back and straightened, more business-like. “Kai did steal my magic. He brushed my hand as I was leading Stiles away. I was so surprised, I couldn’t react. It felt like a knife had cut into where my magic flowed in my veins. It felt like my whole body was rebelling against me. It was only for a moment, thought, and then he was gone and so was Stiles. I, stupidly, went after them. I shouldn’t have left you, Davina. If I had known something like this would have happened... the moment the lights shut off I came looking for you.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Davina reassured, it being her turn to comfort him. “You couldn’t have known. Besides, Lydia would have seen you.”

Kol chuckled mirthlessly. “I’d like to see anyone try to see anyone right now.”

Davina frowned. “Actually, Lydia said she saw some people before the lights went out. Damon and Kira.”

“Damon.” Kol muttered. “I’d say I’d love to punch his lights out, but I think that’d be a little redundant.”

Davina smiled weakly. “I know. But who’s Kira?”

“No idea.” Kol murmured.

“So she must be someone Isaac knew?”

Kol frowned. “Who’s Isaac?”

Ice. Ice flooded Davina’s veins. She tried to pull herself away, but Kol’s grip on her wrists became vice like. She could not see him, but she could for a brief second see a silver glimmer where his eyes should have been.

“You’re the shifter.” Davina stated. She was pleased with how strong she sounded, because inside, her heart was melting. _Where is Kol?_

“I am.” he said, and the fact that he used Kol’s voice unnerved Davina to no end. Suddenly, the grip on her wrists was released, and Davina pulled away in revulsion from the creature.

“Who are you?” she demanded. “What do you want?” She was met, however, by only a far-away sounding chuckle and empty space. The shifter was gone, and Davina’s hopes left with it.

 

Kol twitched, first in discomfort, and then in anger. Kai had cloaked him, he could feel it. Kai had also pinned him against the wall, where he lay, splayed like a squashed fly. He had twitched at first because his nose itched, and he for the life of him could not scratch it. Then he had twitched when he saw (he could see. unlike everyone else he could see.) a guy approach Davina. A guy who looked a lot like him.

“ _Shifter_.” he growled, and it did not escape his notice how there was an animalistic weight behind the words. A thought entered his head, uninhibited, of the first time Isaac shifted. Locked in a cage, trapped, only to feel a surge of strength and bloodlust that enabled him to escape. It was a full moon now, so where was Kol’s strength? Gone, along with his bloodthirst and mania, washed down the drain by his wretched mother. All Kol had was magic, and magic could not help him now. All those years of studying, and Kol could not take down a witch as powerful as Kai Parker. Especially when Kai, clever bastard, had used Kol’s own magic to trap him. It had felt like his entire body had rebelled against him.

Kol’s thoughts of doing horrible things to the shifter involving silver were cut short when he saw a pair of glowing red eyes. _No_. he thought. _It can’t be_. But of course it could. Because if Lydia could show up looking for Stiles, then so could the whole damn pack. As Kol watched, the red eyes were soon attached to a pair of feet, then legs, a torso, shoulders, and finally a face. Scott Mccall, Isaac’s alpha. “Damn him.” Kol muttered. “Damn Isaac Lahey to hell.”

Isaac’s subconscious was kind enough to point out that he was already there.

Kol’s mind was filling now, heavy with memories of Scott and Isaac. Scott attacking him- no, _Isaac_ ,- in an ice rink. Isaac retaliating at Scott’s house, only to get thrown out like a dog. Scott joining Derek’s pack. Stopping the Kanima together. Becoming friends, and Isaac doubting Derek’s leadership. The Darach, the alpha pack, and dealing with the shock together when mild-mannered Stiles Stilinski put a gun to the head of a demon named Alexander.

Kol smiled. Stiles hadn’t liked Isaac at first. His smile faltered, however, as he saw someone else come into view, with ice-cold blue eyes. Derek. He, like Scott, was looking around the room, probably for Stiles, and Kol realized with horror why he could see Derek, and Scott, at all. His eyes must be glowing yellow.

_What the hell?_ It wasn’t his first full moon possessing Isaac Lahey. But then again, he had never possessed him at a time where so much of Isaac’s old life had come into play. Stiles, Lydia, Scott, Derek, not to mention all the manipulation done by Kai, and the spell by Finn that had nearly killed him, and it was no wonder Isaac’s werewolf side was rising. Briefly, Kol wondered if it had anything to do with the mask that Stiles wore, then hastily clamped the thought down when he felt Isaac shift in anger.

Kol had to hand it to Kai, the cloaking spell was good. Twice, three times, both Derek and Scott had passed over his wall and saw nothing. But where was Kai now? And where was Stiles?

Suddenly, Kol saw _him._ His mask, silver and horrible, made him rage. Kol remembered one of the first things he had said to him. _I know what happened to Allison_. He could see it now. Allison, dark, beautiful, had lowered her bow with a smile on her face, until a sword ran her through, attached to a ghost wearing Stiles’ mask. Oni. Stiles was there, laughing like a maniac. Stiles was there. Stiles was there, laughing, smiling, crying, fainting. gasping for breath, doing nothing but growing weaker and weaker and stronger and stronger. Stiles was there, and now he was here, and he was controlling the Oni, and STILES HAD KILLED HER!

The last red thought invaded Kol like a plague, tainting his vision red. He would kill them all. Stiles, that Shifter, Kai... Kol had tapped into that werewolf rage. They had teeth, but he had magic. He looked at his trapped hands. _And claws._

 

“Lydia!” Jeremy was shouting.

“I think- I think-” Lydia struggled to get the words out, her head was so heavy.

 

“Scott!” Derek said, snapping Scott, Damon, and Bonnie to attention. “Look over there!” Derek pointed, and Scott, Bonnie (who could see with a small reversal spell), and Damon (who could only make out distinct shapes thanks to his enhanced vision,) could see a figure, motionless against the thinning sea of teeming people.

Scott paled once he saw the mask on the person’s face.

“It’s Stiles.” Derek said. “It has to be.”

“What’s that on his face?” Bonnie whispered in horror.

“An Oni mask.” Scott said. “But _why_?”

“Kai’s sense of humor.” Damon said grimly. “Oni are fierce protectors of the supernatural world.”

“Yeah, well, they mean a little something different to us.” Scott mumbled.

Damon, although he could only barely make out Scott’s location, turned towards him. “The nogitsune, I know.” Scott balked in surprise. “What, you think Stiles didn’t tell us about that? It was around the time we were trying to kill Silas.”

Scott didn’t know who Silas was, nor did he really care, but one thing clicked. “Kai knew about Stiles and the Originals because you told him.” he said. “Indirectly. What else did you say about Stiles?” he asked, accusatory.

Understanding dawned on Damon, and he suddenly looked horrified. “I-we-”

_“Do you think they’re keeping in touch with Stiles?” Bonnie asked Damon one day over pancakes._

_“Possibly.” Damon said. “But who knows. Like I said, he can’t get us out of here.”_

_“Not to mention the last time he met you, you were still semi-psychopathic.” Bonnie said with a teasing smile._

_“He’s one to talk.” Damon said with a laugh. “After he went full on evil-twin last winter.”_

_“It’s too bad we couldn’t help him with that.” Bonnie said with a sigh, staring out the nearby window into the sunny spring day._

_“We were busy.” Damon said languidly, scooping up his whipped cream fangs with his fork. “Besides, it’s not like we would know how to handle a nogitsune. Or the ‘oni.’”_

_“It’s not a joke, Damon.” Bonnie said quietly. “Someone died. Allison, remember? Stiles talked about her a lot when he was here.”_

_“We’re not even ‘here.’” Damon retorted with a slight bite in his voice. “We died too, or have you forgotten? No one’s come for us yet, certainly not Stiles. I know our friends. They’ll probably forget to tell him.” Bonnie looked downcast at his harsh words, and Damon immediately regretted them. Looking for a rapid change in topic, his eyes found Bonnie’s crossword puzzle. “You still haven’t finished that?” he asked jokingly. She smiled._

Damon snapped out of the memory horrified, and Bonnie, though he could not see, looked equally abashed. “We did talk about the nogitsune.” she said quietly. “Days before Kai showed up. Oh god, this is all our faults.”

“What is?” Scott asked impatiently.

Bonnie turned and looked at Scott remorsefully. “Scott, possession isn’t simple. It...leaves stuff behind.”

Derek understood. “You’re saying Kai is trying to get Stiles to break.”

Bonnie gestured to the chaos around them. “I think he already has.”

 

“There you are.”

Kai, and Stiles by association, turned towards the animalistic voice that had them cornered along one of the balconies above the panicking plaza, Kai against the wall and Stiles near the black railing. There, shrouded, was Klaus, glaring, from what Stiles could see in the dark. Stiles could also see that instead of looking threatened, or even mildly concerned, Kai looked like his day had been made.

“There _you_ are.” Kai corrected. “I was beginning to think we’d never get you on your own.” He smiled like a cheshire cat, and Stiles was beginning to think that the 42-year-old warlock was more threatening than the 1,000-year-old hybrid. He was sure that nothing good could come out of the three of them and (literally) a dark alley.

Stiles noticed Kai's grip on Stiles lifted and instead unsheathed something from his jacket pocket. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Stiles murmured. It was thin, as silver as Stiles’ mask, and the last time Stiles had seen it Kol Mikaelson had been brandishing it proudly over his head. The dagger didn’t glimmer, there was no light to reflect across it, and yet somehow Klaus knew exactly what Kai was holding.

“My brother the schemer.” Klaus muttered at Kai, and Stiles noticed that he was looking at Kai’s chin, not the eyes. _He can barely see._ Stiles thought with a jolt. _How can I see fine when a vampire and a werewolf can barely make out Kai’s form?_ The thought unsettled Stiles to no end.

“Tell me.” Klaus drawled coldly. “How did you get your paws on the possession my brother had been coveting for centuries before finally making it a reality?”

“Well you know witches.” Kai said with a smirk. “They’re so fickle.”

Suddenly a roar sounded from the plaza below, directly below their feet. Stiles started, but Klaus and Kai merely resumed their stare-off. Stiles ran to the balcony (not before Kai put something in Stiles’ hand without him noticing) and gazed over the edge. Through the shadows, he could see a whirlwind of activity, and something that looked dangerously like claws. That isn’t what made him panic, though. No, what made him panic was the three pairs of glowing eyes he saw. Blue, red, and yellow. Scott and Derek were here. But who was the third? Stiles knew that the New Orleans wolves had glowing yellow eyes, but while theirs were more honey-colored, these were lighter. They were from _his_ type of werewolf, and the only one with yellow eyes and that height would be... _Isaac_.

Two things happened at once. The first thing would seem harmless and yet it made all of the difference in the world. Two things happened. Kai smirked, and Stiles stumbled away from the balcony in a panic.

Kai smirked, very widely.

Kai smirked, and Klaus saw the change in his face. He thought Kai was moving his lips, about to cast a spell. Stiles stumbled, and Klaus saw him as the easier target, a way to break Kai’s focus. He didn’t know whether he would kill Stiles or not, but that didn’t matter because he charged. Lighting fast, almost at full vampire speed, he _charged_ at Stiles.

Had it been anyone except Stiles Winchester, had it been anyone except someone with 15 years of hunting training and the reflexes that came with it, had it been Matt Donovan, Jeremy Gilbert, Alaric Saltzman or even Damon Salvatore standing where Stiles now was, they would be dead. As it was, Stiles’ learned instincts kicked into overdrive, and when Klaus charged, Stiles raised his hand to defend himself. His right hand, which now held the dagger. Klaus didn’t see this, and there was almost a _click_ as the dagger buried itself into Klaus’ chest.

Klaus stumbled back in shock as his skin turned grey, and when he looked up Stiles knew it wasn’t the hunter he was seeing but the fearsome silver mask. All Stiles could see, however, were long, black curls.

That didn’t make much sense. Allison didn’t have curly hair when she died. She had cut it short and straightened it. All Stiles could see, however, was the young girl he first met. Bright, cheerful, the look of surprise when the blade entered her heart. Klaus fell over backwards and Stiles saw Allison’s red painted hand hit the pavement. He heard Lydia’s scream, and he realized he was hearing it now, too. He had been next to Lydia when she screamed, but what he had never told another soul was that he had felt like he had twisted the blade, too. That Allison was dead at his hand, and look, he was right. She was lying on the floor, gasping as the life was being sucked from her, all at Stiles’ hand. Stiles looked up and saw another version of himself standing over Allison’s body. Deep down he knew it was the shifter, but right now he didn’t care. It was too much. He had been here before. Here was his goddamn evil twin smirking like an idiot while Stiles was left behind with the blood in his hands. The Oni had stabbed her but Stiles was the one behind the mask.

Stiles didn’t break. He _bled_. It was like a dam burst and the black tar in Stiles’ psyche seeped into his brain, and it was quite a relief. Caring is so redundant anyway. Who cares if someone stumbles upon Allison’s- no, _Klaus’_ \- body when he’s long gone. Who cares if he hates the silver mask on his face? Stiles tore it off in one go and looked at his evil twin with his own dead eyes, pleased to see the flash of worry in them. _Good_. He was the one worth fearing now. He approached his twin, quickly and rapidly, enjoying the other looking like a scared and cornered animal. Poor thing. Stiles pulled out his little silver knife, and, quick as he was trained, got very, very close and stabbed himself in the heart. The shifter had a familiar look of flustered surprise on his face before collapsing in a heap next to Klaus’ dessicated body. Stiles couldn’t help the sick satisfaction that rolled through him, but neither did he care that it was there. He didn’t really care about much. Not Scott and Derek, who’s lives were probably in danger from Kol’s rampage; not Davina, who had done a very stupid thing by giving Kai that dagger; not Lydia, whose ear piercing scream he had heard seconds ago had probably been for him; not Jeremy, or anyone else from Mystic Falls who showed up; and certainly not the dozens of civilians who were still trapped inside a madhouse with a crazed warlock, a witch-werewolf gone wrong, and him. Stiles smirked twistedly, and it was both alien and familiar. He was certainly something to fear now.

He could see, unlike everyone else he could see, and he could see Kai grinning like an idiot. “Oh, stop it!” Stiles said with mock exasperation. “We’re a little busy.”

“I can’t help it!” Kai said gleefully. “It worked! I’m a genius.”

“Not for long if we don’t get moving.” Stiles drawled, stepping languidly over Klaus’ body, and his own. “Lives to ruin and all that.” It was chaos, inside the Mikaelson manor, and Stiles was relishing in it. He was also relishing in the _relief_ he felt. Really, going crazy was so overrated, but he decided to do it anyway.

 

“LYDIA!” Jeremy shouted, he and Rebekah frozen after Lydia’s heart-wrenching scream, oblivious to anything else around them, including Klaus’ disappearance. “What’s wrong?’

Slowly, Lydia rose from her bent-over position, her hands slowly falling from her deafeningly silent head. She looked haunted, and, for the first time since Jeremy met her, afraid. Slowly, she worked up the courage to speak.

“I think- I think-”

“Yeah?” Jeremy egged.  
“I think we lost Stiles.”


	12. It's Good To Be Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... there's some violence in this chapter. I don't think it's too bad, but tread lightly if you're sensitive to that. Enjoy!

Ch. 12

It’s Good To Be Bad

Stiles put his Oni mask back on, and he and Kai were off, delving into the dark, screaming masses of Klaus’ mansion.

“What did you do to Kol?” Stiles asked curiously as he heard the witch give yet another roar. “Or should I say Isaac?”

“It’s Kol.” Kai said. “And all I did was trap him like a fly. He did the rest. Of course, you helped.”

“Did I?” Stiles asked, pleased. “I’m assuming it has to do with Allison?”

Kai nodded. “Something Kol said when we first met him intrigued me. ‘I remember Allison.’ I was thinking that was impossible. If he really was a witch on top of a werewolf’s brain there’s no way he could be able to control that much foreign emotion over a tragic event. Werewolf rage is something truly powerful to behold. It takes more than a few months for a human to master it. So I figured he was disjointed. Connected to the memory, not the emotion.”

“You needed to reforge that connection.” Stiles said, impressed. “Make Isaac a little less dormant enough for the emotion to bleed through.”

“Yeah. You made it really easy, even if you didn’t know it.” Kai said in concentration. “The first step was to tap into the most primal emotion, fear. Isaac was afraid of you, probably from when he found out you were a hunter. When you attacked Kol that night, and wouldn’t let up, for a little while he was afraid of you. I could see it. His and Isaac’s fear of the same thing reforged the connection. Then you add the claustrophobic party, (you told me on the car ride Isaac was claustrophobic) with a lot of people and darkness, and you get panic. Kol sees his girl threatened by the shifter, and he gets angry. Kol sees you, who he associates with the nogitsune, and the Oni mask, and...”

“...he taps into that werewolf rage.” Stiles finished, intrigued. “That’s brilliant. I’m assuming something similar happened to me? Using my past experiences to trigger a similar mindset?”

“You bet!” Kai said. “I figured re-enacting the stabbing was best. I got all the gooey details from Bonnie and Damon about you and your evil twin. I’d thank that damn shifter if you hadn’t just stabbed him to death.”

“Where did that shifter come from, anyway?” Stiles asked with a humorless laugh.

“No idea.” Kai said with a smile.

 

“Good lord!” Damon said, removing his hands from his ears. Beside him, Bonnie did the same. “What was that?”

Scott and Derek shared a panicked glance. “Lydia.” they said simultaneously.

“Lydia the _banshee?”_ Bonnie asked incredulously, and Scott was spooked by how much these people knew about him and his pack, when he barely knew their names.

“Yeah.” he said, panic beginning to bleed through his disgruntled composure. “She’s here.” _She’s here, she screamed, she’s in trouble. Oh god, is somebody dead?_

Derek looked, if it was even possible, aggressively worried. “She screamed. Who died?”

“At this rate,” Bonnie said, desensitized to unknown casualties at this point, “it could be anyone.” She gestured to the thinning panic around them.

“I don’t know.” Damon murmured. “Ever since the lights went off, the only blood I’ve smelled has been small cuts from jostling and glass. If someone died, it wasn’t from an injury and it wasn’t from trying to get out.”

The group of four were silent for a heartbeat.

“But Damon,” Scott said. “Everyone’s trying to get out.”

Derek looked at Scott, Bonnie and Damon. “Not everybody.” he said. “Not us.”

What he didn’t say hung between them. _Not Stiles._

Bonnie asked the question nobody wanted to. “What if it’s Stiles? What if Kai killed him?”

“Well then wouldn’t there be blood?” Scott asked.

Bonnie shook her head. “There are spells that can stop hearts.” Her frown grew grim as she remembered doing that very thing to Jeremy.

“It might not be Stiles.” Derek all but whispered. “We’re not trying to leave because we’re looking for him. There could be others, too.”

“Like who?” Damon asked impatiently.

“Kira?” Derek offered. “Malia? Liam? Liv? I don’t know, Damon! Anyone could have followed us, anyone could be lurking in the dark, anyone could have been found by Kai, anyone could have triggered Lydia’s scream!”

Damon reeled at Derek’s sudden anger, which he recognized as fear. He understood. He, too, was afraid of his friends following in his wake, of Elena, Stefan, or even Matt, Tyler or Caroline following him and being in danger from the sociopathic witch. Bonnie was here with him and that was bad enough. Damon imagined it must be worse for Derek. His friends didn’t know better, hadn’t encountered Kai, and they all knew where Scott and Derek were heading. Any one of them could have followed. As Damon came to this fearful conclusion he realized that he hadn’t checked his phone in almost three days because he had been too busy driving. Meaning if Stefan had been trying to reach him, to tell him if anything had happened, Damon would have been blissfully unaware.

Damon’s train of thought was rudely interrupted by Scott. “Derek,” he said, turning quickly towards the former alpha. “I heard something else under the scream. It was hard to make out.”

Derek nodded. “I know what you mean. It sounded almost like a roar.”

“I already told you guys that New Orleans is teeming with werewolves and vampires!” Damon snapped. “It’s a full moon. This shouldn’t be a big deal.” Well, as a vampire susceptible to werewolf venom it was for Damon, but he was trying not to dwell on that.

Derek shook his head. “No,” he said. “This didn’t sound like any other wolf, it sounded almost-”

“-Familiar.” Scott finished. Before either could elaborate or Bonnie or Damon could question, another roar sounded.

 

“Was that _Lydia_?” Liam asked, removing his hands from his ears like Kira, Malia, Mason, Matt, and Caroline.

“I think so.” Kira replied quietly. Inside, she was thinking the same thing as her pack mates. _Who died?_

“Lydia?” Caroline snapped, rather aggressively. “You know what _thing_ could have made that noise?”

“Caroline...” Matt warned.

Kira was beginning to get confused. Earlier, Caroline seemed nice, but now she seemed... strung out. She was emitting weird vibes and if Kira didn’t know better, she would wonder if Caroline was a werewolf under the stress of a full moon. She did know better, however. Malia and Liam, however untrained, would have been able to sense another werewolf. Malia had said that Caroline ‘smelled funny.’ What had Kira gotten them into?

Malia wasn’t as cautious as Kira. A couple hours in Caroline’s car and she knew something was wrong. Caroline wasn’t- couldn’t possibly- be 100 percent human. So, it was with both audacity and trepidation that Malia marched squarely through Caroline’s personal space, looked her squarely in the eyes and said. “Our friend, Lydia Martin. She isn’t human. Like you.”

Kira, Liam, and Mason gasped and stepped rapidly away from Caroline and Matt, Mason stumbling because he didn’t have enhanced eyesight. Matt gasped too, also unable to truly see. Caroline, however, did not move from her standoff and merely offered Malia a cold, cruel smile.

“I was wondering when the werecoyote would figure it out.”

Malia balked.

“What!” Matt shouted. “Caroline! You knew they weren’t human?”

“You didn’t?” Caroline taunted, not taking her doey eyes off of Malia’s cold -and now glowing- blue ones. “You should know, sweetie,” she said to Malia, “that vampires have excellent senses. I could just _smell_ the wolves rolling on all of you.” She nodded her head at Liam, whose eyes began to glow yellow. He, like Mason, Kira, and even Malia, looked terrified at meeting another vampire.

Caroline’s gaze left Malia’s and focused sharply on Kira. “You’re a spirit.” she muttered. “A fox. And you,” she said to Mason, “are dinner.” Lighting quick, Caroline’s fangs extended from her mouth, red veins pooled under her eyes, and she dug her teeth sharply into Mason’s neck. They remained there for about a millisecond before she drew back choking with parts of her cheeks sizzling. “Vervain.” she hissed.

Internally, Matt scoffed. Of course Stiles would spike Beacon Hill’s water supply with vervain.

It hadn’t taken long for Matt to figure it out. While Caroline had been singing in the car, Matt had listened in on the four hitchhikers’ conversation. Four teenagers heading to New Orleans had been a red flag already, and when they had thrown around names like ‘Scott,’ ‘Allison,’ ‘Lydia,’ ‘Derek,’ and even ‘Stiles’ casually, Matt figured out who they were and where they came from. He had realized that one of the last conversations he had had with Stiles the names ‘Kira’ and ‘Malia’ had been mentioned briefly, and Matt guessed that at least a semblance of the four teenagers in the car had to be supernatural. It was the only reason why he hadn’t reacted more when Caroline told him she would feed off of them, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before she figured out they weren’t human. And here, just now, when they had mentioned Lydia Martin the banshee, Matt knew for certain that these kids were, in fact, some of Stiles’ new friends. _Lydia’s here_. Matt thought with relief. It meant that Stiles was here too. Matt could only hope Caroline didn’t care enough to make all of the connections.

Caroline was angry right now, and Matt decided to focus on that. While Mason clutched his neck in shock, Matt took advantage of Caroline’s weakness and kicked her to the ground, judging her location by the noises of pain she was making. His efforts hit home, and Caroline fell to the floor. Grappling for her wrists, Matt tried to restrain her, but then a nearby sounding roar distracted him. He lifted his head up, trying to find the source of the sound, and Caroline took advantage of his loosening grip to speed away, leaving Matt alone and blind with 1/3 of the Beacon Hills pack.

 

Davina stopped wading through the crowd when she heard the second roar, knowing instantly who it was. “Kol.” she whispered, a silent tear running down her cheek, before her face became steely and impassive. She needed to find Kai and take him down. She turned sharply on her heel, before running into something large and solid.

“Josh!” Davina exclaimed, throwing her arms around the middle of her vampire friend.

“Hey, Davina.” Josh said soothingly. “I’m glad you’re okay! Jackson and Hayley took all of the wolves and vampires out of the house for safety... I’m glad you’re ok.”

 

“I’m not normally one for taking orders,” Stiles mused as he and Kai strolled through the dark chaos, “but surely you had plans beyond turning me evil and having Kol kill people in a frenzy?”

“Oh, Kol hasn’t killed anyone!” Kai said with a laugh. “He’s still stuck to the wall. Getting him to mass murder people would be too far. He’d be too deep, unreachable. We’ll let him out once the full moon passes.” Kai and Stiles simultaneously turned up towards the sky to look at the moon, large and suspended over the silver, black and gold.

“The plan, Kai?” Stiles pressed, rolling his eyes at Kai’s theatrics.

“Well,” Kai said quietly, “you’ll notice it stopped screaming.”

Stiles listened. Kai was right. All he could hear were five, maybe six loud conversations. “All the civilians are gone.”

“Which means....” Kai said cheerfully, clapping his hands together twice, “showtime!”

The lights flipped back on.

Stiles was blinded for a moment, shielding his eyes, before the pain passed and he was able to take in his surroundings. Kai had led him to the edge of the plaza, where he was now watching everyone standing in a giant circle. His arm hurt sharply as Kai twisted it roughly around his back, and Stiles was glad the Oni mask hid his grin as he realized what Kai was up to.

Everyone else, Lydia, Jeremy, Rebekah, Davina, Josh, Damon, Bonnie, Scott, Derek, Matt, Caroline, Kira, Malia, Liam, and Mason, were blinded when the lights turned back on, the humans especially. Nevertheless, everyone went from shielded eyes to open mouths as they adjusted to the scene of them all standing in a circle. It was comical, Stiles realized, how none of them had been aware at how close the others had been while the lights were off. And Stiles realized a heartbeat later that each thought they were the only group other than Lydia present. Naturally, the squabbling ensued.

“Lydia, you’re ok!” Kira shouted in relief. “But who are you?” she asked Jeremy, who was holding Lydia around the elbow.

“Gilbert, what the hell are you doing here?” Damon growled menacingly.

“Yeah, back at you, vampire!” Jeremy spat, “seeing as how you never gave a damn about Stiles before!” Damon bristled, but didn’t comment. Rebekah, however, whirled on Lydia.

“Where’s my brother?” she screamed at Lydia, harshly grabbing the banshee’s wrist.

“Hey! Don’t you touch her!” Kira yelled from across the circle, brandishing her sword threateningly. Derek growled at Rebekah.

“Kira!” Scott lectured. “You shouldn’t have followed me!”

“The hell we weren’t!” Malia said with a growl to rival Damon’s. Damon stopped glaring at Jeremy and nodded at Malia in respect.

Lydia ignored Malia and Kira and turned slowly towards the Original witch. “I don’t know.” she said, ice seeping in, blocking her uncertainty. “Now let go of me, Rebekah.” Her sharp gaze made it clear she wouldn’t ask twice.

Rebekah dropped Lydia’s wrist in surprise and despair.

“Rebekah?” Bonnie demanded, stepping towards the other witch in surprised anger. “As in Mikaelson?”

Jeremy, who was getting over the shock at suddenly seeing Bonnie there, nodded vigorously. Bonnie’s eye flitted to him briefly in almost disinterest before someone near him made her gasp.

“Caroline!” Bonnie said, shocked, just noticing the blond vampire. She made a move to step forward, but Matt shouted.

“Bonnie, don’t!”

Bonnie froze, and so did everyone, and it didn’t take long to go from Caroline’s snarl to Mason’s bleeding neck.

“Oh, no, Caroline.” Damon whispered.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Oh please.” She said with simpering disdain. “You, Damon Salvatore, do not get to play hero. Not for following me to New Orleans with these” she cast her eye scornfully over Malia, Liam, and Kira. “Freaks.”

Damon took a step backwards in surprise. “Follow you? No, I don’t...” Then he saw Matt’s head inclining very, very slightly to the left and then to the right. Realization dawned on him and he hastily backtracked. “What, did you take Matt as a consolation prize?” he growled, hoping to get Caroline annoyed enough to ignore his slip up. Bonnie quickly caught on, but everyone else was a little too confused to say anything.

Caroline's eyes glimmered devilishly. “Something like that.”

Scott didn’t like the warning tone her voice had, nor the little regard she seemed to have for the life of the blond boy next to her. “Everybody STOP!” he roared, his eyes flashing red.

Malia, Liam, and even Kira halted at the command, their eyes glowing in response to their alpha while the vampires, witches, hunter and banshee watched curiously. The silence that followed Scott’s roar was deafening.

“Who are you?” Josh demanded, undeterred by the obvious werewolf. He cast his eyes around the circle accusingly. “Who are any of you?”

Damon took a step towards the center of the wary circle, instantly attracting Josh’s gaze. He looked the other vampire squarely in the eyes and lifted up his hands in the air before saying “I’m Damon Salvatore. I’m a vampire. Me, Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy and Matt,” he pointed to each of them in turn, “we’re from Mystic Falls.”

Josh’s eyes widened, recognizing the name of the town. It held the doppelganger, and it had been where Klaus had raided chaos before stepping foot once again in New Orleans. If Damon was telling the truth then he and the other four had been at some of the worst of Klaus’ wrath. He gulped. “My condolences.”

Scott, standing next to Damon, took another step forward so that the two were level, looking at Josh. “I’m Scott McCall.” he said, somewhat lamely, but then his eyes glowed brilliant red. “That’s Malia, Kira, Derek, Liam, Lydia and Mason. We’re from Beacon Hills, California and we’re looking for the rest of our pack.” For some reason, he thought it best to withhold Stiles’ name.

Josh recognized the name of the town from something Stiles said. He nodded in confirmation.

“So who are you?” Scott asked somewhat sharply at the girl next to Josh, slight in her gold dress but fierce-looking, even through her red eyes.

“I’m Davina.” she said without the barest hint of a waiver. But then her eyes cast downwards, sadly. “And this is all my fault.”

“You’re damn right it is.”

At the sound of Kai’s voice, everyone turned, watching as the warlock himself made his way from around the corner into the eyeline of everyone, holding a struggling figure in a silver mask that caused everyone from Beacon Hills to flinch. For while Malia, Liam and Mason had never encountered the nogitsune, they had heard stories, horrible stories.

“Stiles.” Scott breathed. At first he felt relief. Stiles was fine! But then he felt anger, anger that burned so much that his eyes glowed red again. Kai was tormenting him, tormenting all of them, with that mask, a constant reminder of those scary days when Stiles was no longer himself. The darkest days of Stiles’ existence that still haunted him to this day.... For Stiles, this must be torture, and Scott’s heart cried out for him.

“Stiles?” Caroline snapped in surprise, and Matt didn’t miss the worried look that crossed her face.

“What do you want with him?” Bonnie hissed at Kai, flinching when Kai’s smile grew wider.

“Bonnie! It’s been awhile!”

“Can it, Kai!” Damon snapped. “Answer the question!”

If Kai was deterred by the harsh glares of fifteen-odd supernatural creatures, he didn’t show it. On the contrary, he looked like he was actually having a good time. Stiles, meanwhile, was struggling, and Lydia assumed he must have been gagged under the mask, for he wasn’t speaking or shouting, just eerily quiet.

“What I want,” Kai proclaimed, “Is what I’ve always wanted. My twin dead. My coven punished.” A dark look crossed his eyes at the mention of his family. “I merged with Luke, so I’m willing to leave Jo and her twins- yes, twins,” he said in response to Damon’s shocked face “-alone. But my coven has to be punished. My father has to die. I’m going to raise an army, and Davina is quite right to say that it is all her fault.”

“Where’s Klaus?” Rebekah screeched. “What have you done to him???”

Kai’s smile, once teasing with sick enjoyment, now grew cold, calculating, catlike, and infinitely more dangerous. “Once upon a time there was a warlock who made a dagger.” he mused. “That dagger is now in his heart.”

Rebekah paled and choked in disbelief, and Davina, instead of looking more despaired, grew determined.

“Where is Kol?” she demanded.

“Far far away where he can’t hurt anyone.” Kai said over his shoulder to her as he stepped inside the little circle. “Deep in the recesses of his own tortured mind.”

Kai stood at the center of the circle now, gazing at everyone in bemusement, almost daring them to attack. If the 15 of them closed in on Kai simultaneously, it would be quick and easy.

But with the way Kai held Stiles in front of him like a shield, no one wanted to attack.

“Ah, let’s see...” Kai said as he turned on his heel, getting a good look at his surroundings. “This is the rescue brigade, huh? I must say, I’m a little underwhelmed. I mean,” he brought the hand that wasn’t holding Stiles to his chest in mock affrontation. “You all call me crazy, but have you seen yourselves?” With a harsh turn his eyes lock with Jeremy’s who slinks back uncomfortably.

“Jeremy Gilbert.” he says with false glorification. “The boy who ran away from his family to hunt monsters, under the pretense of going to art school.”

Jeremy glared fiercely, but couldn’t seem to meet Kai’s eyes. He was terrified of what he’d find there. Damon wasn’t surprised at Kai’s revelation, he had surmised as much when he had first seen Jeremy and Lydia. What Kai said next, however, surprised him.

“You killed ten vampires in Santa Fe.” Kai said with appraisal. “It even made the news. I’m impressed. However,” and Kai’s voice turned to a much darker tone, “You didn’t need to hack them to bits, beyond recognition as even humanoid. Sure, you can toss it off as being an excuse for when the bodies were found, but you never intended for the bodies to be found.”

Jeremy looked aghast. How had Kai known? How had Kai known that when Jeremy had staked the ten vampires, something had screamed at him inside that it wasn’t enough? That the vampires had killed his sister, Bonnie, and Caroline, that they had destroyed his life and razed his home and even put Elena to the brink of burning down their house, because really, Elena wasn’t Elena anymore than Jeremy was still Jeremy. And he had taken out the machete that had reminded him so much of the noble Stiles, the Stiles who could see past fangs and wolves all the way to the once human soul... and he had hacked the vampires to pieces and it felt so good to get his revenge. Until his stomach dropped and he looked at what he had done, the monster he had inadvertently become. And so Jeremy had to save Stiles, the hunter who never let it taint him, because maybe then Stiles could help him save himself.

Lydia took a half-step away from Jeremy, surprised, but not horrified, at his supposed past display of ferocity. She had sensed the death on him, and the despair was palpable, yet she had let him into her car all those hours ago because he wasn’t the shell of a human bent on destruction. He was still alive. So was Kai, too, Lydia surmised, even if she could feel the massacre of May 10th rolling off of him in waves. Stiles, however... Lydia spared him a glance. Something about Stiles wasn’t right. Even if the buzzing had halted, even if she couldn’t see his face she knew that he wasn’t struggling nearly as hard as he could have been. Stiles had been tied, tricked, tossed away, but he always, always, got out, or at least put up a hell of a fight until the end. It wasn’t like this, where Stiles was only attempting to pull his arm out of Kai’s grasp, and a weak effort at that. In fact, Lydia could only think of one instance where Stiles was so beaten down that he could not get away. He had been tied to a chair then, in the basement of Eichen House, a place Kai surely belonged in, and in that basement all Stiles seemed to hear was the whirring of an electric drill and the threatening whispers of his own worst fear. Stiles hadn’t been able to fight back then, he was too beaten down. And when he had slackened his grip on his ropes and reality, it had been the beginning of the end.

_The mask._

Lydia gasped internally. The mask! How could she be so stupid? Being forced to wear that mask... Kai had been breaking Stiles down, the same way the nogitsune had, only this time he had simply walked through the already paved trail. Lydia couldn’t imagine the pain Stiles was going through, but yet he wasn’t struggling. So either Kai had some kind of spell on Stiles...

_...or it wasn’t Stiles at all._

Kai must have sensed a shift in Lydia, seen the spark of understanding in her eyes followed by fierce determination, because he let out a genuine laugh in her direction. Lydia’s half-step away from Jeremy, however, seemed to have snapped the hunter out of his trance, and his eyes narrowed as he began thinking.

“You.” he said, pointing an accusing finger at Davina. “You mentioned someone. Kol.” He glanced at a worried Rebekah disdainfully. “One Mikaelson came back a witch, what are the chances of a second?”

Davina shrank back from Jeremy’s accusation, and that was all he needed to confirm the truth, which hit the Mystic Falls gang like Kai’s wide grin.

“Kol Mikaelson.” Damon drawled. “Now there’s someone I wouldn’t mind skinning alive.”

The sun was beginning to rise, if the lightening of a pink-streaked sky was any indication. The light glinted off of Stiles’ silver mask.

“Funny.” Kai said with a smirk. “I think he feels the same way about you.” His eyes glinted as he snapped his fingers, the movement itself unassuming enough, but the air seemed to shimmer in the new morning in wake of whatever magic he had just performed. Around the corner, the corner Kai had rounded minutes earlier, a squeak and a loud thump could be heard, as if a rather loud picture frame had fallen off of the wall. A grunt could be heard, and then some swearing in a heavy british accent. Then stumbling, heavy footsteps made their way towards the frozen group. Rebekah and Davina instantly knew who it was, but no one else did.

It wasn’t red light that washed over his form, haggard, within an inch of his life and permeated with exhaustion. It wasn’t red, it was blue and pink, green and orange, and just about every color of the sunrise except red. They had come a long way from when Kai and Stiles found a warlock leaning against a red-lit wall, masking as Isaac Lahey. If only Isaac had come so far, for as he was gasping for breath and leaning against this wall, no one made a move to help him.

_“Isaac.”_ Lydia whispered. But no, something wasn’t right. Though he looked like he was dying, Lydia had no urge to scream, but her throat felt scratchy,like she had already screamed, like he had already died.

Isaac grinned through his pain, his teeth stained in his own blood from biting down on his tongue. “Not quite.” he whispered hoarsely.

“Kol?” Rebekah asked tentatively.

He pushed himself off of the wall with a great deal of struggling, standing shakily on his own two feet. “Closer.” Slowly, he lifted up his hand and examined it in curiosity. “More of a mix of the two.” He looked at his sister’s and girlfriend’s hopeful eyes and released a harsh laugh. “You know, I never realized until now, Davina, but you look a great deal like Allison.”

Davina winced, and so did Scott, and Isaac’s (Kol’s?) eyes slid from Davina to Scott. “The alpha returns, does he?” Kol mumbled. Then his eyes fell on Damon, Bonnie, and the rest of the group. “With the cavalry.” It intrigued Kol to think that he knew every person standing before him save two of McCall’s new lackeys. But then he found who he was really looking for, hiding behind a mass of Kol’s enemies and Isaac’s friends, still under a silver mask that did nothing whatsoever to disguise the devil.

“Stiles Winchester.” Kol grumbled. “You killed her, and I’m going to make you pay.”

Stiles stopped struggling when he heard Kol’s voice, and straightened up as much as he could under Kai’s grasp, turning his faceless head towards the sound of Isaac’s voice.

Scott was confused as to where Isaac had been, how he ended up in New Orleans, why he was suddenly British and why he was suddenly called Kol, but he pushed aside his confusion and focused on something he could understand: Stiles’ heartbeat. Something wasn’t right. It was painfully steady, like when he had pulled out an old gun and killed a demon named Alexander.

Scott hated a lot of things, but most of all he hated being right.

The motion was just as fluid. The light was from a sunrise but it was nearly the same. The pack was in a circle instead of a half circle, some mysteries of Stiles’ life coming together and filling out the shape, but there was still a demon holding Stiles hostage. Everyone felt just as shocked, compelled to watch, just as helpless as last time. Davina had given Kai the dagger but she had forgotten about the gun he had stolen and smuggled. She had forgotten about the little gun that had caused Stiles so much anguish and had caused him to be searched by Klaus upon arriving at the spot he now stood. In the midst of the weapon she created she had forgotten about the one she knew nothing about.

Stiles hadn’t.

It wasn’t his waistband this time. It was his jacket pocket. Somehow he had freed one of his hands and had it slowly inclining towards his charcoal suit jacket. Once his hand had clasped around the trigger the movement shifted to lightning quick. Stiles twisted, hard, yanking his trapped arm from Kai in what must have been painful, pulling the gun from his jacket simultaneously. Once his arm was free, he turned, standing right in front of Kai with his right hand holding the Colt to Kai’s head at point blank range.

There was a heartbeat of silence. Scott let out a breath. Lydia prayed she was wrong. Isaac just _stopped_ , and everyone else waited with anticipation. Caroline found herself afraid for Stiles’ life.

Malia, Liam, and Mason had not met Alexander. They watched in awe at something they only heard stories of. Scott and Derek had, and they watched the re-creation of the scene with horror, the moment of Stiles Stilinski’s death.

Would Stiles Winchester die too?

Kai took a step back from Stiles, his hands in the air in what can only be described as a sarcastic surrender. He was still grinning, though, like the sight of the gun didn’t scare him at all.

“What are you going to do, Stiles?” Kai goaded. “Shoot me?”

Scott hadn’t heard Stiles speak since the day he left for New Orleans, and so he jumped when Stiles spoke sternly.

“If I have to. You did kidnap me.”

_Kidnap?_ Josh mouthed at Davina, curious as to why the guys he met the day before had turned out so dynamically different. Davina gestured that she would explain later.

“Stiles...” Scott said hesitantly. “Put the gun down.”

Stiles turned towards Scott, and it was eerie to see that silver Oni mask float towards him. “Scott, I think I have to. He won’t stop. He’s planning on killing his entire family, a whole coven of witches!”

“So let’s give him to the family, Stiles!” Scott pleaded. “Let them deal with him, okay? No more killing, no more death! It never ends well!”

Stiles hesitated, lowering the gun with a _click_. Scott let out another breath of relief and stepped into the circle slowly, towards Kai, with his hands still raised, and a masked Stiles.

Once Stiles had lowered the gun, everyone in the ring had unconsciously stepped tighter together, forming a prison around the pair.

_Now that’s odd._ Damon thought, remembering how Kai had stepped into the circle. _Why would Kai, mastermind Kai, do something quite so stupid as to literally surround himself with his enemies?_ As Scott took another step forward, Damon opened his mouth to voice his digressions, but someone else beat him to it.

“Scott.” Lydia said. Her voice rang out among the silent supernaturals. “Stop. Something’s not right.”

Scott, whose eyes had solely been on his missing friend, looked at Lydia uncertainly. That split second was all Stiles needed to raise the gun again with another _click_ \- this time pointed at Scott.

Scott took a step back from Stiles, hands raised.

“She’s right.” Stiles said smugly.

Lydia crossed her arms in anger. “You’re not Stiles.”

Stiles, with the hand not holding the gun, ripped off his Oni mask and threw it at Lydia’s feet with a dull _twack_. “Don’t be so sure about that.” Underneath the mask he wore a brilliant, leering smile.

“You sick son of a bitch.” Damon said to a victorious Kai. “You manipulating bastard!”

“Stiles.” Scott pleaded. “This isn’t you! I know you! Please, whatever Kai screwed up in your head, we can fix it!”

Stiles took a lazy step towards Scott. “You know, I’d like to believe that, Scott.” he drawled with amusement, “but I’m having a hard time.” Another step. “Something’s always broken, isn’t it, in the sorry excuse you call a pack. Whether it’s me, or Derek, or Liam” he trails off, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards, “or Allison....” Scott flinched, and Stiles smiled at the pain he caused. “It can never be perfect, can it, Scotty? This pristine little pack of yours where no one fights, or kills, or maims.” He takes a step forward with each accusation. “You have two wolves in your pack with glowing blue eyes, and yet you still hold your head so high. Causing death, needing to kill, to you it’s all an illness.” Another step. “You say you can fix me.” He takes one more step, right up to the point where Scott is reminded of the night that the nogitsune twisted a blade into Scott’s stomach all while holding his shoulder and telling him it would be okay. It would never be okay again. “You say this isn’t me, Scott, but personally? I like the disease.”

Stiles pulled the trigger and a shot rang out from the old gun. Scott gasped, collapsing on the floor in pain as blood poured out of his wound.

“RUN!” Scott shrieked, and they did. Kira, Liam, Matt, Josh and Damon ran for the stairs to the balcony on the left. Lydia, Jeremy, Bonnie and Derek ran for the stairs on the right. Davina, Rebekah, Malia, Mason and Caroline raced across the plaza to the downstairs part of the house, leaving Stiles, Kai, and Kol standing over Scott, who whimpered as he clutched his leg.

Stiles had shot out his knee.

“What should we do with him?” Kol asked Kai with a wicked glint in his eyes.

“What should we do with them?” Stiles asked, gesturing to where the 14 people had rapidly disappeared.

Kai grinned. “What else is there to do but what we do best?” He nudged a bleeding Scott disdainfully with his toe before turning towards his companions, the former tricksters. “We’re going to break the rules” he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Today the foxes hunt the wolves.”


	13. Attack and Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey people, thanks so much for reading thus far. I'd like to take a moment to say that the story from here on out might get a little messed up. That shouldn't be too surprising given its subject matter, however it's only fair to warn you that it may not look pretty.... but it will get better! (I think. This story isn't actually finished yet. Even though it has a sequel.) Kudos to anyone who can get the reference in the title. Anyway, enjoy!

Ch. 13

Attack and Release

“Go.” Stiles directed Kol, inclining his head to where Davina and a few others had run off. “Go find your girlfriend. She already sold me out and gave Kai the dagger, maybe she’ll be inclined to help us out a little more.”

Kol grinned devilishly and ran off in the direction of the interior of the house. When he was gone, Stiles crouched down to where Scott was still whimpering while clutching his bleeding led.

“I blew out your kneecap, Scott.” Stiles whispered conspiratorially, holding up the smoking gun for Scott to see. “See, for most people, that’d be it. They’d never be able to walk again. But you, Scotty? You’re not most people.” An evil grin stretched unnaturally across Stiles’ face. “You’re lucky! You’ll heal.” He stood up, towering over Scott. “Slowly, of course.” he said louder. “It takes a little longer to recover from something like that. And it probably doesn’t help that I left that nasty bullet in your leg.”

“Stiles.” Scott gasped through the abhorrent pain. “This isn’t you!”

“Maybe not.” Stiles murmured darkly. “But it is now.” He shot one last wink at Scott before slinking out of the werewolf’s limited eyeline.

“You take left, I’ll take right?” Kai offered, gesturing to the two winding staircases leading to the balconies.

“No. Other way around.” Stiles said, making his way over to the right staircase. His mind was churning, thinking about who had run where, and he smirked once he realized who he would be dealing with. “You’re going to have a fun group, Kai. Just try not to get so carried away.”

“Speak for yourself!” Kai taunted, the two already a great distance away from each other. “Given the fact that you have history with literally every supernatural creature ever!”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Stiles shouted back before making his way up the staircase lightning quick.

Scott heard them leave and then collapsed even more against the hard stone floor in despair.

 

Lydia, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Derek had rushed up the staircase and were running only for a few minutes when Bonnie tripped over something, sprawling quickly on top of something hard and cold. Given that the sun was almost completely up, she and everyone else could see perfectly clearly what it was, and when Derek reached down to pick her up he also put a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream. Bonnie got up very hastily, eager to put some distance between herself and Klaus’ dessicated corpse.

“Should we...” Jeremy asked uncertainty, aware for the first time that he was stuck with his resurrected ex girlfriend. “Should we... move him?”

To Jeremy’s relief, Derek replied to him instead of Bonnie. “No.” he said sternly. “Whoever’s coming after us will trip too. It buys us time.”

“I’m sorry, whoever’s coming after us?” Lydia asked apprehensively. “What is this, Scream?”

“No, I think you’ve got that covered.” Derek mumbled. Lydia shot him a glare to rival his own.

“Guys!” Bonnie snapped. “Let’s go! We can squabble after we get away from Kai and whatever the hell he’s done to Stiles!” Lydia and Derek stopped glaring at each other at that, and the four inched themselves around Klaus’ body and ran down the hallway.

“Is anyone following us?” Lydia asked Derek, grateful to be with someone with supernatural hearing.

“No.” Derek muttered. But then he winced painfully. “Stiles, he- he blew out Scott’s knee. It’ll heal, but it will take a long time for him to come help us, and first he needs to dig out the bullet. But now Stiles and Kai are deciding who to follow, and- crap.”

“What?” Jeremy asked, even with Derek’s running pace while Lydia and Bonnie lagged slightly.

“Stiles is the one coming after us.”

There was a beat of silence as that settled in.

“We’re running from Stiles.” Jeremy proclaimed. “Trained by the best two _hunters_ on the planet. Well, that’s fantastic.”

“Stiles, who’s gone dark side.” Lydia chided. “What are they planning to do? Kill us?”

Derek was silent for a second. “I dont know.”

“We need to hide.” Jeremy said urgently. “ _Now_.”

 

19 people were in the Mikaelson manner, counting Klaus. The werewolves had run to the bayou, the vampires to Marcel’s loft, and Jackson and Hayley were guarding Hope. Meanwhile it was a bright and sunny day outside, and the streets of New Orleans were busy already. If any witches notices that two of their numbers were missing, if Klaus’ army had inexplicably retreated and the Mikaelsons were nowhere to be seen, none commented. You see, no one noticed because it had been a long night and the morning had just begun. The world should have rested a little longer before facing the new day, or at least that’s what one half of a celebrating couple told her partner as they meandered down the New Orleans streets.

“C’mon” the woman with the bushy brown hair said with a laugh as she tugged her boyfriend through the bustling streets. “You got me up this early, the least we can do is go exploring for our four month anniversary!”

“Alright, alright, slow down!” her boyfriend said with a smile, unbelieving that it was possible for him to have this good of a day. As they ran they passed a large mansion, and while Amelia payed no attention to it, the sight of it chilled her boyfriend’s blood. Something was off about it. The entrance was decorated for a party but there were no guests. In fact, the doors were wide open and it looked like a hurricane had ripped through. A year ago and Amelia’s boyfriend would have stormed into the house guns blazing....

“C’mon, Sam!” Amelia goaded.

_This isn’t a year ago._ Sam chided himself. _Dean isn’t here anymore, and Stiles.... you did what was best for him._ Part of Sam’s conscious was kind enough to let him know that dropping off of the face of the Earth without a goodbye was probably not good for Stiles, but he chose to ignore that. _Pull yourself together, Sam Winchester. You gave up hunting for a reason. Let’s keep it that way._ However, Sam couldn’t help himself. He made a mental note to check out the mansion later once Amelia was sufficiently distracted.

 

Kai and Stiles had squabbled briefly over the baseball bat, Stiles because it was his preferred weapon, Kai because he had used a baseball bat to kill his family and this seemed fitting. Had Kol been present he would have interjected that, like Stiles, he had discovered wooden bats always broke at the worst time when attacking your enemies. It was odd what all three had in common. Being foxes, and now, using baseball bats. Kai won the bat, leaving Stiles with the Colt and his silver knife, and Kai dragged the baseball bat loudly up the stairs throughout his slow ascension. Liam, the werewolf, Josh, Davina’s vampire, and Damon could probably hear him crystal clear. Good. He wanted them to know he was here. He wanted them to run scared.

“Damon!” he tauntingly called up the stairs. “It’s been a while! C’mon, let’s kick back, have some bourbon! This doesn’t need to get any messier than it already is!”

Kai ascended the last five steps of the staircase painfully slow, amplifying each heavy step and each scrape of the aluminum bat. Somewhere, he was sure, the wolves and the vampires were flinching towards their graves.

If they didn’t kill each other first.

 

“Rebekah!” Davina panted as the witch raced across the plaza after her friend, while, Mason, Malia, and Caroline trailed behind. “Rebekah, wait!”

Once Rebekah had lured them all into a nearby bare room, she turned, eyes blazing.

“Wait?” Rebekah snarled, shaking in fury. “Wait for what? For the hunter to come kill us? For a psycho I let into my home come kill us? For my- for my _brother_ to come kill us?” Rebekah broke off with a strangled sob, leaning against the olive green walls of the room for support as her hellish fury turned into wracked desperation. “Klaus is dead, Davina. Or at least as close as he could possibly be. Elijah is in the wind, as is the shifter. No one is coming to save us, and we’re running from my _brother_!”

“Oh, poor _dear_!” Caroline snarled, stepping forward angrily towards the two witches. “My heart’s bleeding for you! But how about instead of moping about our unfortunate predicament, we actually try to survive?”

Rebekah, instead of looking offended at the vampire’s outburst, eyed Caroline distastefully. “Well we can start by not feeding on the humans.” she drawled, eyeing Mason’s still bleeding neck wound with disdain. Her eyes flicked back to Caroline, and she studied the girl, anger giving way to mild surprise. “My gosh, you really have turned it off. Caroline Forbes of all people...”

Caroline blinked furiously but did not comment. Next to her, Malia let out an impatient growl. “You two know each other. Fantastic! How about we help my friend before he bleeds to death?” Malia’s eyes were glowing blue, her body still tense from the effects of the full moon as she looked at Mason with concern. Mason chose that moment to let out a whimper, as he clutched the side of his neck with an ever-pailing complexion. It had been a miracle that he had made it thus air.

Both Rebekah and Caroline took in Mason’s worsening condition, and then their eyes met again and a tense charge filled the air, crackling with old feuds and new, bottomless hatred. “Go ahead.” Rebekah challenged, starring Caroline down with centuries of anger and disapproval behind it. “Heal him.”

Caroline paused for a second, scowling at Rebekah, before, without breaking eye contact, raising her wrist to her lips and biting into it with a grimace. Malia and Davina watched in fascination as Caroline drew her own blood, flowing gracefully down her arm before dripping onto the carpet below her feet, before turning her wrist away from her in disgust and holding it out towards Mason. “Drink.” she ordered, eyes never ceasing her glare.

Cautiously, Malia wrapped her arm around Mason’s back and guided it towards Caroline’s wrist. She helped him drink, and after a few gulps his eyes closed in relief and his hand fell away from his healing neck, visibly exhausted. The moment he brought Caroline’s wrist away from his mouth, Mason stumbled back with permeated tiredness, into Malia’s waiting arms, his eyes fluttering shut while he recuperated. Malia glared over his head at Caroline.

Once Mason had healed, Rebekah relaxed, smiling tightly. “Now, see, part of you does care, Caroline.”

Caroline snatched her wrist back to her body just as the wound was already closing. “What was this? A test for my humanity?” She snapped. “How many times to I have to tell you people that it’s gone!”

“It’s remarkable.” Rebekah murmured. “How _you_ people can be so stupid. You’re talking to one of the oldest vampires in existence, Caroline. Do you really think you can fool me? I know how the switch works. I’ve never flipped it myself, but God have I wanted to. When I found myself with a dagger in my chest in a dark, dusty box, I wanted nothing more than to end it all. But I didn’t. Because I’ve seen what the switch does to other vampires, Caroline. It isn’t a switch at all; it’s a dam, and it starts leaking the moment after being built. The strongest emotions bleed through first, anger, self-preservation, until the whole damn thing comes crashing down leaving a vampire confused, guilty, and afraid, with so much emotion washing over them that they often want nothing more than to end their own lives. They’re catatonic unless there’s someone idiotic enough to help their stupid selves pull back together. I saw it and I didn’t want it, but it didn’t matter. My humanity burned away just from centuries of prolonged life, but not yours.” Rebekah’s lips curled into a snarl. “Not yours, Caroline. You’ve been turned for two years and you already think you own the world with your immortality. But you don’t. I see it in your eyes. Right now you’re scared for when the dam comes crashing down, and, well, I have terrible news for you, _Miss Forbes_. That’s an emotion. That’s called _fear_ , darling. Not as good of a switch as you thought, huh? And you picked such a wonderful time for it all to come crashing down, Caroline, because in case you haven’t seen through your endless contempt, _we’re running for our lives._ You’re a vampire, we aren’t, but just because you’re a little harder to kill does not mean you are in any less peril. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

Silence. Rebekah was left to fume in silence as Davina, Mason, and Malia regarded her with open mouths. Rebekah had ended her rant shouting, no doubt alerting anyone of their location, but at the moment she did not care. She was fed up with the Mystic Falls gang, with their audacity to think that they understood how the supernatural world worked after living in it for only a few short years, how they assumed they were the good guys, how they thought using their witch to her extremes and warping the whole world just to protect one girl couldn’t possibly have any earthshaking consequences, and then being unjustly angry and surprised when said consequences arose, all the while letting innocent humans perish in their wake. They were a plague.

Rebekah knew she wasn’t innocent, she knew there was enough blood on her hands to drown the world, but being stuck in a human body, a witch nonetheless, taught her balance. She understood, now, how the supernatural world worked. It wasn’t supposed to take over human lives, and that was why there were hunters. It wasn’t supposed to start wars, and that was why there were witches. It was, however supposed to exist, flourish, thrive, and that was why there were werewolves, shifters, and, even to some extent, vampires. Rebekah hated Mystic Falls because it took that carefully crafted balance and threw it out the window, and as far as she could tell, the only person who had attempted to restore it was now trying to kill them.

“Rebekah...” Davina whispered.

Rebekah snapped out of her trance to see an interesting sight. Caroline stood in front of her, limbs shaking, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. She looked on the verge of collapsing. Rebekah sighed. Fantastic. She had gotten through to Caroline’s humanity, which was a plus, but now had to deal with the shell of a girl and whatever suppressed emotions had caused her to flip the switch in the first place, not to mention run from three psychos.

“Malia.” Rebekah barked, taking charge of their strange situation with gusto. “Can you hear anything?”

“I can feel something.” Malia murmured strangely. “Like _pack_ , except it’s twisting and warping, and I’m smelling wolf and death and spice- what witches smell like- and it’s constantly changing. But the wolf smell, it’s _old_. I haven’t encountered it since I was a coyote. I think it’s Isaac.” She frowned, confused. “Or Kol. It makes sense. He’s a witch, used to be a vampire, right?” Davina nodded mutely. “That explains the death and spice. And he never left Scott’s pack, which would make sense why he feels so- so- familiar-” Malia halted, the gears in her mind behind her excited eyes came to a grinding halt, and her face turned fearful as the heavy steps she was listening to suddenly stopped. “And he’s right outside this door.” Malia whispered fearfully.

“Okay.” Mason whispered, holding together surprisingly well. “Okay. We need to distract him, throw something at him so we can get away.”

Malia shook her head hopelessly. “I can _smell_ his determination. He isn’t going to be distracted by much.”

“He’ll be distracted by me.”

Heads swiveled to look at a determined Davina.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Davina.” Rebekah chided, but she looked worried. “I’m not letting you face Kol. He’s a ghost of your loving boyfriend, probably more like his old self than Isaac, or whoever the hell he was masking as. You’ve never seen him this ferocious, love. He’ll rip you to shreds.”

Davina’s face was impassive, eyes set on the door. “He’ll rip us all to shreds if I don’t do something. Anyway, Kai was right. This is all my fault.”

Caroline let out a strangled sob, and was of no other help. Mason was healed but he was human, and limited. Rebekah had only just begun discovering her powers of a witch, and together the three were no match for Kol; powerful warlock, experienced vampire, angry werewolf. Davina was their best asset, and yet she was also their best chance at escaping.

The real Kol, the one that Rebekah had run with for centuries, the monster that was slowly taking over the werewolf, could never resist perfect irony.

“Go.” Davina said firmly. “I’ll hold him off.”

“Famous last words.” Mason grumbled.

Rebekah didn’t like this, not one bit, but she supposed that Davina could choose to do whatever she wanted with her pitiful life. Nevertheless, she was concerned. “The moment you see an opening,” she said with an edge of desperation, “run. Run fast. get out of this house, meet us in the bayou. Hayley’s pack will protect us.”

Malia and Mason looked like they wanted to protest, but Rebekah’s glare shut them down.

Davina nodded, and fear glinted in the girl’s eyes before cool resolve replaced it.

Right on cue, Kol’s voice spoke, much too loud for the group’s liking.

“Davina!” he drawled. “I know you’re in there, love. Come on, what’s the rush? You ran off before I could say hello. We need to talk, you and I.”

Davina suppressed a shiver, and could only imagine the manic gleam in Kol’s (Isaac’s?) eyes. “You’re right!” she shouted back, pleased her voice did not waver. “Let’s talk. Just the two of us.”

The ultimatum hung in the air, and for a second Davina was terrified Kol wouldn’t take it. But then she heard him shift away from the door, and that was as good of an invitation as any. “Are you ready?” Davina quietly asked Rebekah. She nodded, and Davina took a heavy breath before opening the door.

 

Damon cursed again as he rushed with his vampire speed before stopping and glaring at the wolves and humans as they tried to catch up. Josh was reluctant to use his vampire speed, sticking with Kira, Liam and Matt as they ran normally. Surprisingly, none of them were winded, but they knew their energy couldn’t last. The balcony of Klaus’ mansion was long and sprawling, and Damon made an executive decision and ducked into a room with an open door. Everyone else tumbled in after him, breathing heavily, and Damon shut the door quickly, leaving the room dark except for faint, orange-tinted sunlight.

Damon, without warning, picked Josh up by the scruff of his shirt and slammed the younger vampire against the wall, applying just enough pressure to his throat to make breathing uncomfortable.

“Want to explain what’s going on?” Damon asked evenly as Josh sputtered under his grasp.

“Damon, what the hell!” Matt snapped angrily.

“Shut up, Donovan!” Damon replied without turning around. “You shouldn’t be here. None of you should! Which of you geniuses thought it would be a genius idea to ignore your alpha and follow him into an obviously volatile situation that is clearly so much worse than we thought?”

Knowing he was talking to them, Kira and Liam exchanged worried glances but kept silent.

“Damon!” Josh gasped again. “Stop! I- can’t-”

Damon dropped Josh carelessly, and the vampire slunk down to the floor, winded. He looked up at a fiercely glowering Damon with disheartened eyes.

“Kai and Stiles arrived two days ago.” Josh said. “Davina and Kol took me out to lunch with them and said that the five of us were going to take down Klaus- it’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while. I knew Kai was a witch and Stiles was a hunter from Beacon Hills, and Kai seemed a little off but I never thought- I never imagined-”

“That you got dragged into dealing with two of the most dangerous people on the face of the planet?” Damon finished icily. “No, why would you.”

“We were just trying to save New Orleans!” Josh wailed. “And now Elijah is missing and Kol’s gone crazy and we could actually use Klaus’ help and everything has gotten so muddled-”

Damon held up a hand, effectively silencing Josh. “Elijah’s gone missing?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow. “No, I could swear I saw him before the lights went out-”

“It’s a shifter.” Josh replied. “Sent by someone. Probably Finn, no one knows. It’s just another thing running around this goddamn house!”

“Finn?” Matt asked with a groan. “How many Mikaelsons are you dealing with?”

Josh sighed. “All of them.”

“Guys?” Liam interrupted, obviously freaking out. “I hear something.”

Damon and Josh cocked their heads to the side as they listened and then both winced at the sound of aluminum grating on stone.

“What?” Kira asked, tightening her grip on her sword reassuringly. “Is it Scott? What is it?”

Damon gritted his teeth in distaste. “Scott’s fine.” he grumbled. “He was shot in the leg, he isn’t going to be rescuing us any time soon, but he’ll heal. However, we have bigger problems. Kai’s coming after us.” He paused, listening to Kai’s taunts. “With a _baseball bat_.”

“We should fight!” Liam said aggressively, flashing his eyes.

Damon shook his head. “Kai is the most powerful witch in the world right now.”

“I’m sure the New Orleans covens could take him!” Josh said confidently.

Damon turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. “The New Orleans covens aren’t here. I’m pretty sure Kai has sealed the building against anything supernatural getting in or out. We can’t run. We can’t fight. We need to hide.”

“Don’t be so sure, Damon.” Matt said. “Kai’s done the deadly hide-and-seek thing before. He found and killed his whole family, you really think he won’t eventually suss us out?”

“Well what do you suggest, Donovan?” Damon asked angrily. “I have no doubt in my mind that there’s some kind of barrier. It’s what I would do.”

Matt looked torn. He crossed his arms and shifted on his feet. “If there’s a barrier,” he said slowly, ignoring Damon’s urgent gestures, “You couldn’t leave.” His eyes went from Kira to Liam to Josh before settling back on Damon. “But I could.”

Damon mulled this over. Matt was sure that he was going to say no, but then Damon let out a deep sigh. “The only people who know we’re here are Stefan and Elena.” he said defeatedly.

“And the sheriff, Deaton, and Parish.” Kira interjected helpfully.

“Donovan, the moment you get a chance, run. There are witches in the quarter.” Damon said, looking desperate.

“There are vampires across the river and werewolves in the bayou.” Josh added. “Look for Marcel and Aiden.”

Matt nodded. “Okay.” But then he froze. They had been talking for far too long. “Damon,” he asked tentatively. “Where’s Kai?”

Damon tensed, using his senses, expecting to hear soft, approaching footsteps, and Josh and Liam did the same, but then Damon’s eyes widened in fear and realization. “I- I don’t know.”

“I can’t hear him.” Josh murmured, standing up from his place against the wall.

“I can’t smell him.” Liam whispered, huddling with Kira closer to Matt.

“Kai must have cloaked himself.” Damon said with horror. “He could be anywhere.”

Suddenly, the red door Matt was facing and Damon had his back to creaked open slowly and loudly.

But there was no one there.

Damon whirled around with wide eyes, almost ramming in to Matt as the five watched the door apprehensively. Matt could almost imagine Kai taking a languid step into the room, regarding the group with a cocky smile.

Of course, if Matt continued this imagination he could imagine that Kol Mikaelson hadn’t been resurrected, that his biggest hero wasn’t trying to kill him, that all of his friends weren’t in danger, and that the whole world in the Mikaelson Manor wasn’t being forcibly torn apart at the seams.

However, the door creaked open slowly and the doorway was empty. There appeared to be no one there.

But in New Orleans nothing is ever as it seems.


	14. Long Way Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this is a pretty long chapter, but it does include some semi-graphic violence, so tread lightly. Enjoy!

Ch. 14

Long Way Down

“You sure you’re fine with me going back to the hotel?” Amelia asked with curious eyes.

“Yeah!” Sam said cheerfully with a smile as fake as Dean’s every time he- _no, don’t think about Dean_. “Get some sleep, Amelia.” Sam said while he chided himself. “We were up early. You deserve it.” Amelia looked a little disconcerted but she nodded with a tired smile before slipping away from her boyfriend and sliding to the nearest bus stop. Sam watched her go as she wove through the people on the sidewalk, and felt a little guilty. It passed, however, once he remembered the house. If he could get a look at it, if he could save some people, even, then surely it would be worth lying to Amelia. It would be worth dredging to the surface skills and feelings he had neglected for _months._ It would be worth turning his back on both of his brothers and the family business that had dragged them through the muck down to places no one should ever see. Christ, Stiles was 17! But it was all worth it if they saved some people- all the beatings, and death, and despair, it was all worth it if they could save a few simple lives of people they didn’t know, people who could have died in the apocalypse or been killed by leviathans or for all Sam knows could have been run over a car the day they left town. If he told himself it was worth it, it would give him a reason to delve deeper into the poisonous life that he abhors to lead and yet desperately needs. Sam was addicted to freedom, something he could never have, but he didn’t know which one was the drug: normalcy or hunting. One he’s barely gotten a taste of, the other he’s run from forever. But maybe using Dean’s death and Stiles’ age as an excuse to stop hunting- because that’s all it is, an excuse- is actually a way for him to leave the question unanswered. Hunting or a normal life. Which is the one he can truly live without?

As Sam stood on the precipice of the Mikaelson manor, holding a carving knife and carrying two handguns as well as several more knives on his person, the answer should have been obvious. But Sam’s head was rattling, thinking of the amazing four months he’d had. He couldn’t see himself, the determination in his eyes or the fierce way he stood, any more than he could see what was really going on in the house before him. If he could see, then this story might have turned out a little differently. If he could see the mess he was getting himself into, he might have turned around, left his question unanswered, delved into the depraved ignorance of those fortunate enough to not wrestle demons. If he could see the way he stood he might not have accepted the fact that once he took that first step into the black heart of the Mikaelson manner with knives in his hands and eyes, his question was answered. He did not know his brother was in New Orleans. Hie did not need the pull of family or blood to step in and save people, and yet fate seemed to throw them together anyways. So when Sam took a cautious step into an empty plaza and saw a red heap of a wolf sprawled upon the unforgiving stone floor and he immediately broke into a run, there was no further doubt in his mind which one he could not live without. If only he knew that.

 

Stiles, as it turns out, did trip over Klaus’s body just like Derek had predicted. He only did so, however, because he had been too busy looking for the second. _The shifter._ He thought bitterly, sprawled comically on the floor in a tangle of limbs. _Where the hell is the shifter?_ Stiles had stabbed it right over Klaus’ body, he was sure of it. So where was the damn thing?

Deciding that the body was a minor inconvenience at best, Stiles scrambled to his feet remarking how his clumsiness seemed ingrained no matter what the state of his psyche. He turned, then, eyes sharp as he analyzed the hallway in front of him. Lydia, Derek, Bonnie and Jeremy couldn’t be too far ahead, now, could they? Several doors were flung wide open, including the one Kai and Stiles had stayed in. Stiles took a few moments to change from his suit into jeans and flannel and restock on weapons. Then he peered into the rest of the rooms as he passed them. Empty. Well, if they wanted to play hide and seek, Stiles was more than happy to oblige. Holding the Colt threateningly at his side, he chuckled. Talking wasn’t against the rules.

“You know, I was nice enough to give you guys a head start!” he drawled happily into the open air. “The least you guys could do is give me a clue!”

Stiles wasn’t expecting an answer, after all he was hunting four highly intelligent beings. But he was a hunter, and he noticed things others easily overlooked. This, however, wasn’t something he saw, heard, or even smelled. The easy air grew thick with tension. He felt it. He could practically see his four victims tensing up, maybe shooting each other furtive glances, reassuring looks, promising each other that there was a chance that this was all a horrid dream-

“This is the stuff of nightmares.” Stiles continued conversationally as he kicked open the next door and peered inside. Empty. Fine. “I mean, running from your best friend, that’s gotta be tough, Lydia. And Derek, I bet you never thought you’d be scared of me. Again. And Bonnie, Jeremy, you poor souls, you probably have no idea why this is happening. But the innocent 16-year-old who saved you from the vampires is long gone. It’s my turn now.” Stiles looked through eight more doors, more and more conscious that there was a dwindling number remaining in the hallway. _Now would they really be so stupid as to hide in the last room?_

“So let me lay all of my cards on the table!” Stiles shouted, louder so they could hear how close he was, louder so they could shake with fear and know that they were to be discovered soon, that they were out of options. “This may be the stuff of horror movies, guys, but I’m not going to kill you!” _Bang!_ Another door open, room searched and found empty. “I just want to talk!” _Bang!_ A particularly resilient door opened to a pink and lifeless room. “I know every supervillain promises this, and they all go back on their word, but in my case, it’s true!” Stiles promised innocently. There were only two doors left, and Stiles approached the second to last one with a wicked smirk. His voice dropped to a whisper because he knew, human or otherwise, they could all hear him. “You can’t fight me. You can’t outrun me. I have a gun that will kill any of you, and I’m going to find you eventually. So why don’t you-” Stiles kicked open the door, and met his stunned prey on the other side with a winning smile, “-give it a rest?”

 

Just as Davina opened her door to face Kol, and Kai and Stiles stumbled upon their prey, Sam Winchester, hiding in plain sight, cautiously approached a whimpering werewolf clutching his bleeding leg.

“Scott?” Sam asked in disbelief, voice choking as he saw the bloodied mess his brother’s best friend had become. Scott whimpered in assent, and Sam, who was crouched and reaching towards him, reeled his hand away briefly in shock. “You’re supposed to be in Beacon Hills.” he murmured. “With Stiles. Oh god. Has- has something happened since the nogitsune?” Scott nodded vigorously, and Sam tensed before asking his next, pressing question. “Is- is Stiles here?”

An unreadable look crossed Scott’s face as he nodded again. Sam exhaled in a combination of relief and horror. He was relieved because Stiles was okay, or at least had been okay since he had talked to him last. He was worried because now Stiles was randomly across the country with an invulnerable friend who had been reduced to a withering husk, and Sam of all people had stumbled upon them. That was really bad. The types of things Sam usually stumbled upon were dead bodies.

Sam helped Scott sit up, and right about then noticed the bullet wound in his right knee. He took out a knife and began prodding it, Scott braving the pain through clenched teeth. Once Scott had let out a particularly vindictive hiss of pain, Sam looked up and into Scott’s eyes with caution. “Scott,” he asked, almost hesitantly, as if dreading the answer, “who did this to you?”

Scott saddened, his eyes laden with despair. He opened his mouth to answer, and Sam could see the battle raging in his brain- to tell the truth or to lie. From what Sam could see, Scott was weighing the options more for the hunter’s sake than his own, and that worried him. What foe could be so bad that Saint Scott (as Stiles had once christened him) hesitated to tell the truth?

Deep down, Sam already knew.

“Stiles.” Scott croaked, voice cracked, most likely from screaming in pain. “It was Stiles. But Sam- he isn’t in his right mind! And and and and he was kidnapped! And Isaac! He’s changed too! And there’s this guy! And the witches and-” Scott’s eyes bulged as he verbally hyperventilated, until Sam held a hand over his mouth, effectively ceasing the flow of words.

“One thing at a time.” Sam said gently, choosing to ignore Scott’s obvious need for urgency. If Sam didn’t get the full story before facing his opponent then urgency would be useless. “Stiles shot you?”

Sam didn’t move his hand, so Scott was forced to nod rather than elaborate.

“And he’s not in his right mind, correct?”

Scott nodded again.

“He was kidnapped?”

Another nod.

“By who?” Sam asked. The list was long, from Crowley to angels to the few leviathans who hadn’t died yet, to even other hunters, angry at a number of world disasters the brothers had caused. So, naturally, the scrawny boy at the top of the staircase was Sam’s last guess.

“By me.”

Sam and Scott jumped, startled, and looked upwards to a grinning Kai, brandishing a bloody baseball bat as well as a good amount of blood splattered across his face and torso, all producing a rather gruesome effect. At Sam’s death glare and Scott’s fearfulness he smiled wider, beginning a slow, lazy descent down the stairs as he began to talk, eyes never leaving Sam and Scott.

“Sam, huh? You must be one of those famous Winchesters I’ve never heard of! What a surprise! I’m so happy to have you here, although I wish you would have had the courtesy of calling. This is house is so full as it is.” He let out a languid sigh, like it truly tortured him to think of the sheer number of lambs led to slaughter within the mansion. “If you’re looking for Stiles, he isn’t here.” Kai had arrived at the bottom of the stairs now, and he strutted towards the two with vigor.

“And who are you?’ Sam asked somewhat snidely, standing up to his full height. Kai whistled mockingly at the intimidation attempt, but Sam did not otherwise move. He was smarter than he looked, after all. He knew better than to be deterred by this kid, who, except for the blood, looked harmless. Judging by the lack of bulky muscle and overflux of confidence, Sam would have to guess a witch, probably Bonnie’s kind, born into it. He was highly intelligent and observant, judging from his eye movements and his comments. He was stealthy, Sam hadn’t heard him coming, - and he knew things. He knew who the Winchesters were just by hearing Sam’s first name, unlikely for a kid. This guy was clearly bad news.

“Didn’t I say? I’m Kai.” Kai replied in just as snide of a tone. “And I’ll say it again. If you’re looking for Stiles, he isn’t here.”

 

Davina opened the door slowly, careful to not hit Kol (Isaac?) and thus anger him further. When she finally stepped out from the safety of her room, Kol broke into a wide, manic smile. For a second, Davina was tempted to hit it off of his face, but instead she kept her distance and glowered. She did, however, turn, so Kol’s back was to the door. She realized that she was blocking the way to the foyer, but hopefully Rebekah would think of something.

“What do you want, Kol?” Davina snarled, crossing her arms in defiance.

Kol chuckled. “It’s not what I want, love.”

“Then what do you, Stiles, and Kai want?” Davina asked just as acerbically.

Kol contemplated her question. Then he took a step towards her. Davina took a step back. “We don’t want to kill you all, if that’s what you’re thinking. Too messy. Stiles and Kai are good, but I don’t think we could bury 15 bodies before being caught. And someone would hear the screams eventually. No, killing you would be far too much of an inconvenience.”

Davina’s breath hitched at the horror of the way he said it so _casually_. Like her death meant nothing to him. Like all of their deaths, his sister, his brother, his old friends, meant nothing to him. What had happened to him? “Well sorry to inconvenience you, Kol.” Davina drawled sharply in what she hopped covered her fear and horror. “But you still haven’t answered my question. It isn’t like you, to not boast about your master plan.”

Davina had added that last part hoping to catch him off guard and get a rise out of him, and she was right. Only it wasn’t the rise she was expecting. Instead of looking sour, or even angry, Kol grinned almost predatorily, as if it was Davina that had given away her master plan, and Ko could now read her like an open book.

“Ah, that’s it, isn’t it.” he breathed, taking another step towards her, which she reciprocated in kind. “The most powerful witch in the quarter, and you have yet to attack. You think I’m still me, don’t you?”

Kol paused and looked at her condescendingly like he expected an answer. Davina, meanwhile, saw Rebekah and the others quietly leave the room and head down the hall in the opposite direction, but not before shooting several apologetic and panicked looks. Wanting to keep Kol’s attention on herself, Davina nodded dumbly.

She regretted it immediately as Kol threw back his head in harsh laughter. “Oh, well that’s perfect!” he said, advancing once again towards her, Davina backing away from him and her comrades with every step. “Because you’re wondering what happened to me, aren’t you? What happened to your little, _whipped_ boyfriend. Well he’s gone!”

Davina suspected as much, but hearing it was that much harder. She couldn’t stop herself from flinching, which only seemed to egg Kol on.

“He’s gone and he isn’t coming back! And good riddance to the lovesick sap! But do you know who I am? I’m Isaac, sure. I’m the part of him he suppressed for over a year, the claws, fangs, and yellow eyes that were shoved into him forcefully when he got bitten, and have been flailing ever since, the part of him that wants nothing more than to rip into everything and spill blood for the fun of it. But I’m _him_ too. I’m Kol. I’m the Kol you never knew, the one that spent some centuries as a black sheep, and some in a box with a dagger in my heart. I’m the one that wreaked havoc across six continents with nothing but my teeth for seven centuries. I’ve killed oceans of people, and I don’t give a damn because I needed no switch for my humanity, not until today. Ask Damon, or Caroline or Bonnie or Jeremy or godforsaken Stiles Winchester who I’ve killed. And do you know why you never noticed this? Surely you knew I was a killer but deep down you never truly believed I was one. Because the Kol you fell in love with? He wasn’t real. He was a half-dead conscious corrupted by a werewolf’s sympathy. But this?” He spread his arms wide and gestured at his madness. “This is real. And I don’t care about you, Davina. I don’t care about anyone. You’ll forgive Isaac mourning the love of his life as the cause for me to be a little-” Davina discovered in horror that she had been backed up against a wall, and Kol kept advancing, until he was very very close. His hand reached out and gently stroked her cheek, almost mockingly. “-sentimental.”

Davina shivered in revulsion. Kol, however, did not back away. Instead he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You’re smart, Davina. Smart enough to guess who the winning side will be in this little confrontation. And I’m smart enough to know that you wanted more than to be a distraction for Rebekah’s escape. So why don’t you tell me where my sister and your friends ran off to, hm?”

For a heartbeat, Davina considered it. Pointing Kol in the right direction (down the hall and to the left) would be so easy, and then she could just give up, stop fighting. Kol wouldn’t hurt her, not with her on his side, but it was more than that. She was a Harvest witch, and she had more power than most witches. And this power positively ached to be used, and not in a kind way. When she handed Kai that dagger, when she betrayed the Mikaelsons, it wasn’t just to protect Kol. He could, after all, protect himself. No, she had felt a rush, doing so, and it was addictive. Kol’s promise was tantalizing, and it threatened to send her over the edge.

For a heartbeat, Davina considered it. But then she realized that she didn’t believe Kol. Stiles and Kai might or might not have had plans to kill everyone in the house, but _he_ certainly did, because his sadism went far beyond his vampirism. Except, he was apparently partially a werewolf now. And so Davina wondered...

Kol was still so close, awaiting her answer, that it was fairly easy to put a hand on his chest, making his proximity that much more intimate. Kol took that as a yes, and, smiling cruelly, bent down to kiss her. Davina could hear the part of her that still wanted to give in, but she ignored it easily. She had made up her mind. So when Kol’s lips were inches from her own she whispered deathly quietly. “ _Motus_.”

Kol’s eyes snapped open, wide, as he flew backwards, slamming into the wall on the other side of the hallway, sliding down to the floor. “What the hell!” he growled angrily, eyes blazing, but before he could get up, Davina took a strong step towards him, arms out and fingers splayed as she performed the spell she used on vampires, the one that gave them aneurysms on repeat, that made them feel like their heads were on fire. On a witch or a human would have no effect, but Kol was enough of a werewolf that it worked. He gasped and clutched his head with both hands and then groaned and pitched forward, sprawled facedown in the hallway, yelling in agony.

“You’re right.” Davina said with a stern glare. “I am smart enough to know who the winner will be in this _little confrontation_. Me.”

Davina didn’t wait around. Knowing Kol would be in pain for quite some time, especially being half-human, she ran. Eventually, the spell would stop once she got far enough away, but Kol would not be moving for a long time. Davina raced down the hallway, running across the hallway to the foyer. She entertained the idea of chasing after Rebekah, but that would be idiotic, as the group could be anywhere. No. Davina needed to get out, now. And what better exit than the front door? Of course, when she rounded the corner into the courtyard, she saw something that stopped her dead in her tracks. But by then it was too late.

 

“Is everyone okay?” Matt shouted, panting heavily from the floor of the room they had stumbled upon, a room that had cranberry walls that did nothing to hide the blood splattered on them. Well, there hadn’t been blood at first.

_They stood there for a few moments, watching the empty doorway with apprehension. Then, suddenly, Damon was thrown to the side, landing on the floor on his hands and knees, a wide, red gash forming on his forehead. Kai materialized then, holding his baseball bat sprinkled with blood, grinning ferociously._

_“Damon!” he exclaimed joyfully. “Long time no see!” Matt stood frozen in horror as Kai swung his bat, dealing Damon another blow to the head that knocked him flat on the floor, arms stuck uselessly at his sides from the trauma. Damon, being a vampire, was of course already healing._

_“What do you want, Kai?” he groaned, attempting to sit up, but Kai only whacked him again._

_“Well, I just want to talk, Damon.” Kai said. “But I want you to know that not everyone in this room has the healing aptitude that you do. So Stay. Still.” Almost as an afterthought, Kai turned and hit Josh on the head, too, then grabbed him by the shoulders on his way down and pitched him next to Damon. “As far as I know, head trauma takes a little longer to heal.” Kai cast his eyes to Matt, Kira, and Liam. “You three might want to look away.”_

_They did. Liam, Kira and Matt huddled by the far wall, eyes downcast, hands over their ears as Kai dealt blow after blow on the vampires, splattering blood on the cranberry walls. Damon and Josh didn’t make much noise, and fairly soon they were unconscious. Once Kai was satisfied they wouldn’t move for a very long time, he threw the bat aside, kneeling in front of the vampires, panting. Of course, far too quickly he stood up, and advanced over to the three of them. In one swift move he kicked Liam in the stomach, winding the werewolf and sending him back into Kira, and the pair tumbled over onto the floor. From the crack Matt heard, Liam had broken his leg, and Kira was winded and stuck under him. Then it was just Matt, stone-still and staring down Kai. Kai grinned, and with the blood covering his face, it was unnerving._

_“You know, Bonnie and Damon told me about your ring.” he said with a glance down at Matt’s finger as he prowled around him. “Indirectly, of course. But they talked all the time. About Vicki, about the Originals, about the tragic death of Katherine Pierce. Really, that intrigued me the most. They wouldn’t shut up, and here was lucky me able to hang on to every word. You know it’s a shame you aren’t wearing that ring now.” Kai sucker punched Matt in the stomach and he fell down to the floor much like Damon had. Kai crouched, and tilted Matt’s face up so he could look at him. “It might stop me from killing you. Except I’m not going to kill you. Stiles is. He’s your hero, right?”_

_Matt was at a loss as to how Kai knew that, when he had had barely any interactions with the warlock before he had skipped town after the merge. “You’re a monster.” he said instead, winded from the sucker punch. “You killed Luke!”_

_Kai tsked. “Yeah, I did. I’ve killed a lot of people. Have I killed more than you, though? Those bloodsuckers you call friends? I’ve hurt my family, Matt, and I’ve hurt innocents who happen to get in my way, but at least I know I’m evil. You and your friends? You fight and you flail all in the name of good, only the only people who get saved are yourselves. Well... sometimes. I mean, you’ve died, Bonnie died, Jeremy died, Caroline died, even Elena died despite countless people sacrificing themselves for her. None of it has been permanent, except for when all those townspeople burned alive because they were possessed, or Klaus’ victims, or Damon’s.... They’ve all stayed dead. Matt, I know what I am. And I hope you know that you’re human. In the eyes of your friends, you’re expendable. So, Vicki, Mayor Lockwood, my dear old brother Luke.... you’re next. And it won’t be me. It won’t be Stiles. It will be your own stupid humanity.”_

_Kai flipped Matt over so he was on his back, and stood, strutting over to where his ruby-studded bat lay on the floor. “Like I said, I just wanted to talk. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an alpha to torment.” And then he was gone._

“Is everyone okay?” Matt asked again.

“I’m fine.” Kira said weakly. “Just stuck!”

“I’ll heal.” Liam mumbled.

“Damon? Josh?” Matt asked. No response.

“Are they going to be okay?” Kira asked, panicked.

“They’re vampires.” Matt said with a groan as he tried to sit up. “They’ll heal.”

As if on cue, a loud groan sounded from the corner where Josh and Damon lay. The two vampires sat up slowly, clutching their heads, which had completely healed but were still smeared in blood. The two sat there for a moment, blinking and regaining full consciousness, until Josh rushed over to Liam, set his broken leg with lightning speed, and lifted him off of Kira. Liam’s leg healed immediately once the bone was back in place, and to his credit he did not wince or scream, merely supported his weight with it gingerly. Kira got up in a huff, and, being otherwise uninjured, fussed over Josh’s bleeding head. Damon, meanwhile, rushed over to Matt and stood over him, the still-winded human curled on his side so all he could see were Damon’s feet. Damon crouched and offered his hand, which Matt took thankfully, and slowly Damon brought Matt to his feet. Once standing, Damon gave Matt a once-over, satisfied when he didn’t find any injuries. Matt, on the other hand, got a good look at Damon. Aside from the bruises and blood matted in his hair, Damon looked fine. No mangled limbs, and his black clothes hid the blood that would have been bound to splatter on him. On the other hand, Damon looked spooked. He was jittery, and kept glancing towards the door every few seconds, as if he expected Kai to come marching back in with more blood and a sick smile. It seemed Kai Parker had done the near impossible: unnerve Damon Salvatore.

“You okay, Damon?” Matt asked out of politeness. He wasn’t really expecting an answer, since Damon was known for brushing off even the darkest of threats.

Unsurprisingly, Damon shrugged. “I’ve been better, Donovan, but I’ll live. The perks of being a vampire. However, I did pass out halfway through Kai’s obligatory evil rant. Was it the usual dose of crazy?”

“Uh...” Matt said. He had two choices, here. He could lie, and feed Damon’s flat perception of the sociopath, or he could tell the truth: Kai’s rantings weren’t crazy, they were calculated. It was anyone’s guess how he knew how to push Matt’s buttons, but Matt guessed the psycho was just good at reading people. Telling Damon would certainly give them an edge in defeating Kai, but there was always the chance that Damon would ignore the information. And of course then Matt would have to explain why Kai’s words bugged him, that he had been having doubts about his fanged friends, and Damon was a lot less likely to ignore that. No, better to keep everyone on the same team for now. “Yeah. Just some crap about building an army.”

Damon nodded, satisfied, and then moved on to talk to Liam and Kira to make sure they were okay. Matt’s eyes strayed to the wall still dripping in blood, and he tried not to think about how that could have easily been the blood of one of Damon’s many victims.

“Kai’s going after Scott.” Kira said, jolting Matt out of his trance. “We should move.”

 

“C’mon, get out.” Stiles said calmly, gesturing with the Colt as he ushered for Lydia, Bonnie, Jeremy and Derek to leave the room they were currently cowering in. When none of them moved, merely regarding him fearfully, Stiles sighed and pulled back the metal tab on the top of the gun. Then he pointed it at Derek. “This gun will kill all four of you, even the one most resilient to bullets.” he said nonchalantly. “I say we just treat this like a bank heist. Do what I say, don’t step out of line, and then you don’t get shot. Now, move.” _That_ got their attention. Glancing at each other quickly, Bonnie, Lydia, Jeremy and Derek slowly stepped out into the hallway, careful not to stand in front of the loaded gun. Stiles shut the door to the room they had left. He turned back around and faced the group with a smirk. “Now was that so bad?” he taunted. All four of his captives glared.

“If we’re treating this like a bank heist,” Lydia quipped, eyes blazing with too much anger and not enough fear for Stiles’ liking, “then we’re hostages, not victims. A placeholder to ensure a thieve's safety until they get what they came for. Well, Stiles, why didn’t you kill us? What did you come here for?”

Stiles contemplated that for a moment. “‘Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.’” he finally replied cryptically.

“Robert Frost.” Derek said gruffly, almost automatically.

Stiles grinned. “Very good!”

“What’s the point?” Bonnie asked, annoyed.

Stiles laughed. “The point, Bonnie, is that I’ve been looking at the world wrong.”

“Stiles, Kai broke you!” Jeremy pleaded. “You aren’t looking at all! You’re being manipulated!”

Derek, Lydia, and Bonnie flinched, expecting backlash for Jeremy’s outburst, but Stiles merely marched over to him calmly and poked him in the chest. “Don’t be so sure about that, hunter-boy. I’m the one in control now.”

“So what?” Jeremy retorted. “You and Kai and Kol are going to get us out of your way and burn the world down?”

“You all were always too smart for your own good.” Stiles muttered. “But you haven’t caught on. The reason Kai was able to ‘break’ me as you guys so eloquently put it was because there was already a paved path to my insanity, all Kai had to do was follow the signs. Because I was weak. Because I was locked away as the nogitsune burned everything in his path away in his insatiable desire for chaos. He left me with nothing to hold on to. He left me with no control, thinking the blood on my hands was actually my fault.”

“‘From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.’” Lydia quoted.

“Well, now I have control.” Stiles continued as he nudged the group along the balcony. “Now I’ve moved on, and now I don’t care. I’m not going to kill you guys because I really don't care if you live or die, and burying 14 bodies is a lot of work. Burning the world would be exhausting, and so much would get destroyed in the process.”

“That sounds familiar.” Lydia muttered.

“It should.” Stiles prompted.

Lydia’s eyes widened. “You told me that when your brother met the devil he said that he didn’t want the world to burn.”

“What?” Bonnie asked.

Stiles ignored her. “He only wanted to rid it of pesky humanity. Well, I have more humble ambitions.A part of me died when the nogitsune possessed me, and like all possession, some things get left behind. It just took a little prodding for me to let it in. But did I ever tell you that the devil burns cold?”

Bonnie’s eyes widened too as she finished the poem. “‘But if it had to perish twice/ I think I know enough of hate/ To know that for destruction ice/ Is also great/ And would suffice.”

“You didn’t break.” Derek stated.

“No,” Stiles mused. “I bled. I took what the nogitsune left behind and turned it into a better version of myself. Less burning desire, more cold indifference. It’s quite a relief to be honest.”

They had reached the end of the balcony, now, and Stiles looked down at the scene unfolding. Then he let out a quiet laugh. “Unbelievable.” he said. He gestured for Derek, Lydia, Bonnie and Jeremy to look. When they did, the gasped.

“Sam is here?” Lydia asked.

“How?” Bonnie questioned.

Stiles shrugged. “Who the hell knows? Maybe he stumbled on a dead dog right outside, that seems like something he would do. Or maybe he just entered on a whim and found a dying one. But don’t get your hopes up. He isn’t going to be of much help to you.”

Bonnie looked down at the unfolding scene, noticing that no one was looking back up at them. “Kai cloaked us.” she surmised. “Why?”

Stiles grinned. “You’ll see.”

 

“You’re lying!” Scott shouted weakly while Kai looked at him in amusement, all while Damon and his group were beginning to peek out from the balcony and Lydia’s group looked on. “Stiles is here!”

Kai ignored him. Instead he looked Sam in the eye. “My condolences for your brother Dean. I’m sure that must have been harsh. But I’m afraid I have some worse news. Stiles Winchester is gone. I killed him.”

“You’re lying!” Scott roared again, flashing his red eyes.

Sam reeled in shock, sure he was missing something, - Stiles couldn’t be dead- but his train of thought was halted as the double doors behind Kai opened as Caroline, Rebekah, Mason and Malia burst through- holding a limp corpse with a single stab wound that looked an awful lot like Stiles.

_Stiles had tripped over Klaus’ body, looking for the shifter’s. Which he then carefully moved._

Caroline was sobbing, clearly unstable. “We found him like this!” she wailed. “Why? WHY?”

With an angry roar, Scott and Sam lunged at Kai, leaving their backs exposed to the right staircase as Kai laughed and dodged their repeated advances. Caroline and Malia rushed into the fray, while Rebekah looked cautious.

There was another angry roar as Damon rushed down the left staircase, Kira, Liam, Josh and Matt not too far behind, and they all drew their weapons or claws and attacked, too.

Then, suddenly, Davina was racing across the plaza screaming bloody murder, as she, too, cautiously approached the fight before leaping in. It was all Bonnie, Derek, Jeremy, and Lydia could do to not race down the stairs but they knew Stiles would not let them.

It was over far too quickly. Scott and Malia growled, eyes flashing blue and red, as their claws dug into Kai’s arms, which they held behind his back. Meanwhile, Sam held a small gun to his temple. Kai should have been fearing for his life, or at least intimidated by the three werewolves, two witches, three vampires, kitsune, two humans, and cold fury of the Winchester surrounding him. Instead he laughed. Maniacally.

If possible, this enraged Sam further. “Why did you do it?” he hissed threateningly, pressing the gun that much closer into Kai’s head. “Why did you kill my brother?”

Kai grinned in response. “It was simple. He got in my way.” He winced as Scott and Malia’s claws deepened.”Oh, go ahead and kill me. It won’t change anything.”

Sam looked at Scott uncertainly. Scott nodded coldly. Sam swallowed and shifted, getting a better grip on the gun.

 

Up on the right balcony, four people watched the scene unfold with varying degrees of horror. Stiles, on the other hand looked almost bored, ditching the Colt in favor of his silver knife, which he was twirling around in his hands.

“He’s going to do it.” Lydia breathed. “I can feel it. He’s going to kill him.”

“Well, don’t act so surprised.” Stiles said. “He’s killed plenty before. That being said, an execution is cold, even for him.” Four heads turned towards Stiles, still twirling his knife, in surprise.

“Explain.” Derek demanded. “This is somehow all part of your plan. How?”

“You’re good.” Stiles said with a nod. “Well, think of it like this. I haven’t heard from Sam in months, not since he and Dean went to finish off the leviathans.”

“The what?” Jeremy asked.

“Big black goo things. Like to eat people. Anyways, if Sam’s here alone, it can only mean that Dean is dead, probably killed in blazing glory, but still killed. Family is everything to Sam, so losing Dean was the worst kind of crippling blow. Now he thinks I’m dead, and is severely unhinged. They all are. They’re doing things they never imagined themselves doing.”

“Like holding a public execution.” Lydia mused.

“Exactly!” Stiles said.

“You orchestrated this.” Jeremy said. “You moved the shifter’s body where you knew someone would find it.”

“Why? Just to prove a point?” Bonnie asked.

“Yes.” Stiles said with a smile. “Kai’s death, while tragic, will be the final nail in the coffin. No one down there will ever be able to recover from that.”

“But why not us?” Jeremy asked. “Why aren’t we down there?”

“Call me sentimental.” Stiles mused while he weighed his knife in his hands, finding the balance point. “Or call it logic. The four of you have witnessed so much death. Some of you drown in it. Some of you have died. Some of you have killed. None of you regret it for an instant. Truthfully, guys, there isn’t much I can do to you. But down there?” He inclined his head towards the scene. “The true alpha just gave a kill order. Liam’s eyes are going to glow blue, because they’re all about to murder an innocent. Kai may have killed, but he didn’t kill me. It’s too bad they’re all so blinded by their good intentions. I’m dragging them down to a place where they’ll never recover.”

Something clicked for Derek. “‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions.’” he said.

Stiles nodded. “Something the nogitsune would never let me forget. And take it from someone who knows from experience, my friends. It is a long way down.”

“But Stiles,” Bonnie said. “There’s one flaw. If you kill Kai, the cloaking spell goes away. They all see you. The plan fails.”

“True.” Stiles said. “And I orchestrated all of this, but I didn’t do it alone.”

Too late, the four noticed a lone figure at the edge of the plaza. Kol had regained consciousness, and was watching the scene with a grim smile.

“All three of you planned this.” Lydia whispered.

_Bonnie did not trip over Klaus’ body. She tripped over the invisible shifter’s. She just didn’t know it._

Stiles nodded in confirmation. “Kai’s death, while beautiful irony, would be inconvenient at best.”

“Then why do this?” Lydia asked, gesturing to the scene below.

Stiles didn’t answer. Instead, his attention shifted towards the crowd, where several people, Malia and Rebekah among them, were now vocally demanding Sam pull the trigger. “You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you all this.” Stiles said. “The monologue is what kills the villain, after all. Why not have Kol cloak us instead of Kai, why not have Kai die anyway? Well, I want this plan to fall through. I want them to know I’m still alive. Aside from the fact that Kai is the only one powerful enough to cloak us completely, I want everyone to see what they have become, and realize that it was all for nothing. I could have Sam kill Kai, but then they’d all just move on. This way, they’ll never forget how far down they’ve sank.”

Derek, Bonnie, Lydia and Jeremy were horrified at how easily Stiles seemed to be able to manipulate the people below him, like they were chess pieces.

“Take Sam, for instance.” Stiles said, gesturing to the tense shoulders directly in front of him. If Sam could see where he stood he would have realized his mistake. “He doesn’t normally act like this, but he’s under the impression that both of his brothers have left him. His world has perished twice, first from fire and then from ice. But since you all love your quotes, here’s one more.” Just then the cacophony of voices climaxed, but Stiles whispered and they heard him perfectly.

“‘This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.’”

Stiles threw his silver knife, and just before Sam was about to pull the trigger, it buried itself into his back with a flash of silver. Sam’s gun clattered to the floor as he sank to his knees in front of Kai, letting out a small whimper before blacking out.


	15. Happiness in Misery

Ch. 15

Happiness in Misery

Sam’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he pitched forward to a chorus of screams, facedown at Kai’s feet while blood soaked through his shirt and bled onto the floor. Kai watched with fascinated interest as Sam’s blood soaked through his gym shoes.

Sam had been stabbed in his left shoulder, below his shoulder blade but far away from his spine. He wouldn’t be paralyzed, but he had passed out from the pain and was probably halfway to bleeding out at this point.

The throw was precise and skillful. Painful, but not deep, and not fatal. Yet. Stiles lowered his arm, and Bonnie, Lydia, Jeremy, and Derek gazed at him aghast.

“You stabbed your brother.” Bonnie whispered.

“You’re acting like that’s never happened before.” Stiles drawled. “I stopped him from participating in a mob-fueled horrific execution. Personally I think I did him a favor.”

“A- a favor...” Lydia whispered aghastly as she stared at Sam’s unmoving body.

 

_Beacon Hills, California_

“Dammit, Parish!” John Stilinksi exclaimed as he slammed his fist down on edge of his desk. “We were supposed to be looking out for these kids! And now you’re telling me Liam Dunbar, Kira Yukimura, Malia Tate and Mason Hewitt are all declared missing by their parents? How did four teenagers give you the slip, Parrish?”

Jordan Parrish looked ashen faced as he looked at a livid sheriff. “They must have taken off right after I left the loft.” he said regretfully. “This was premeditated. I mean, Mason wasn’t even at the confrontation. They planned this. I- I never should have left this alone, I just didn’t think they’d be this rash.” Parrish hung his head in resignation.

“Their friend was kidnapped by a witch and their alpha went after him. Of course they would act this rash.” Sheriff Stilinski said, but his anger had softened to sympathy.

“I guess.” Parrish admitted. “But, I mean, vampires! I’m still new to this too! The fact that there is one more creature out in the dark that I don’t understand, it took a toll on me. I’m not asking for your pity, or sympathy. I’m merely stating fact. I wasn’t thinking.”

John sighed. “My son is in freaking Louisiana and I have no idea if he is okay. I’m not thinking much, either.”

All of a sudden, the sheriff's cell phone rang, a shrill, piercing noise startling the two men. John scrambled for it eagerly, and almost said a prayer when he looked at the caller ID.

“It’s Scott! It’s Scott!” he practically shouted. Parrish let out a sigh of relief, and then the sheriff answered the phone. “Scott?”

“It’s Stiles, actually.”

John nearly dropped the phone in surprise. “Stiles? Is Scott okay? Are you okay? What the _hell_ happened?” The sheriff was nearly hysterical with joy, anger, and worry.

“Dad, slow down!” Stiles said, and this time the sheriff could hear the rush of concern in his son’s voice. “I’m fine! A little banged up, but fine. Scott isn’t though. And- and neither is Sam.”

This time, the sheriff almost collapsed in surprise. “Your brother Sam?” he hissed in shock. “The one who dropped off the grid and hasn’t been seen in months, _that_ brother Sam? What is he doing there? And where is there, anyway?”

“I’m in New Orleans.” Stiles supplied. “At- get this- Klaus Mikaelson’s family home. I don’t know why Sam’s here, but Dad, he’s been stabbed in the back. With a knife. It doesn’t look good and I don’t know how to help him!”

The sheriff sighed, rubbing his forehead as he tried to process the weight of information his son was presenting. “Okay, okay Stiles, we’ll get through this. Is the knife anywhere near his spine?”

“No.” Stiles answered, and John could visualize Stiles analyzing Sam. He always was eager to help people. “It isn’t very deep, either. I think the biggest worry is him bleeding out, but I have someone putting pressure on the wound.”

“That’s good, son.” John said, feeling a swell of pride at his son’s competency. “I think that’s all you can do till you’re able to take him to a hospital. The boy’s probably out cold. He shouldn’t feel anything until he wakes up.”

Stiles scoffed. “Something tells me Sam has survived worse.”

The sheriff frowned at the surprisingly bitter edge Stiles spoke with, but he ignored it in favor of his next question. “Stiles, you said someone was helping you. Who else is there? And do you mind telling me what exactly has been going on?”

Stiles took a deep breath. “Bonnie’s putting pressure on the wound. She, Derek, Damon, Lydia, and Scott are here. Scott got shot in the knee but he’ll be fine once we dig out the bullet. Kai, he’s got us all trapped in Klaus’ house, and he did something to Klaus, it was scary. He shot Scott and he stabbed Sam and he left to track down the rest of the Mikaelsons.”

Okay. That sounded bad. But some parts of Stiles’ story didn’t make too much sense. “Stiles, you’re with a witch, a vampire, your brother, and several werewolves. How is one guy able to do all of that?”

“He had... help.” Stiles admitted. “Two witches, Kol and Davina. Yes, Kol as in Mikaelson, it’s a long story. I was subdued, Scott and Derek were caught by surprise, it was all over very quickly. But Kai... he wanted me to call you, Dad, so he could get the rest of the pack down here. I know this situation sounds bad, but please, don’t come down here! That’s what he wants! We’ll find a way out, okay? We always do!”

“Okay, Stiles.” John said soothingly. “I’m listening. You’re right, it’s going to be okay. I just have one more question for you, alright? Are Kira, Liam, Malia and Mason down there with you?”

“No.” Stiles said. “Why would they be? Scott said he told them to stay in Beacon Hills!”

“When has that ever worked?” John said, knowing full well of the irony in that statement. “We’ll find them, don’t worry.”

“Dad, I have to go.” Stiles said with a shaky voice. “He’s coming back. We’ll get out of this.”

The call went dead.

“Are you going to listen to him?” Parrish asked the sheriff uncertainly.

“What do you think?” John replied. “Grab your coat, deputy.”

 

_Mystic Falls, Virginia_

“I’m worried.” Elena mumbled, twirling her hair distractedly as she and Stefan lounged in the Salvatore boarding house. “It’s been over three days since Damon and Bonnie left. Caroline’s still missing and Matt took off too! And Jeremy won’t return my calls.”

“Don’t stress yourself out, Elena.” Stefan said with a heavy sigh, clearly worried himself. “Jeremy’s fine, he’s at college, he’s probably just busy. As for everyone else, well, maybe we should start to worry.”

“Do you think we should do something?” Elena asked, sitting up straight with interest. “Go after them or something?”

“No, no.” Stefan said hurriedly. “Damon would kill us and it would only give Kai some cannon fodder. But maybe we should go talk to Alaric and Jo.”

As if on cue, a knock on the door sounded. Elena and Stefan shared a meaningful glance before Stefan sped over to answer it. Once he opened the door, he swore and tried to close it but a hand shot out to stop him.

“Now, now,” Enzo chided. “Is that any way to treat your brother’s best friend?”

Elena was next to Stefan in a figurative heartbeat. “What do you want, Enzo?” she practically growled.

Enzo rolled his eyes at the theatrics. “I haven’t seen Damon around in a few days.” he commented. “And given the fact that he’s never more than twenty feet away from you, consider me concerned.”

“Damon’s fine.” Stefan said rather forcefully.

“Really?” Enzo asked incredulously. “That’s good to know! So then why are the recently resurrected witch, Blondie, and Matt Donovan also mysteriously absent, then? I’m certain you wouldn’t mind telling me that.” Stefan and Elena were stupefied as they willed themselves to concoct a plausible explanation. Enzo’s mouth curved into a victorious smile before he spoke again. “You know, I’m not alone in my inquiries. I believe you also owe one Mr. Lockwood an explanation.”

Stefan and Elena paled as Tyler came jogging up to the door and stood beside Enzo. “Hey guys, what’s up?” he said casually enough, but the hard glint in his eyes was anything but.

“Oh, not much, Tyler.” Enzo said with forced nonchalance. “I was just seeing if Stefan and Elena here had any info as to the whereabouts of our missing friends.”

“Oh yeah, that.” Tyler said. “My best friend has been missing for four days. You really think I wouldn’t notice?”

Stefan flinched, clearly uncomfortable. “Uh...”

“You know, Stefan, it is freezing out.” Enzo said with a wicked grin. “Who knew Virginia got this cold in February? I don’t suppose you and the Mrs. could let us come inside? And then maybe we could... chat.”

“Vampires don’t get cold.” Elena snarled.

Enzo shrugged. “But humans do.”

To be fair, Tyler was looking a little uncomfortable.

“Fine.” Stefan relented. “Come inside.”

“Excelent!” Enzo exclaimed with an enigmatic smile.

Once he and Tyler were settled in, Enzo leaned forward. “So what mess have you lot gotten yourselves into now?”

 

_New Orleans, Louisiana_

To say everyone had been shocked to see Stiles, alive and well, at the top of the staircase would be an understatement. His descent onto the pavilion where Sam lay was not slow, or grand, or dramatic, but quick and intentful, rushing down with his four victims trailing behind him in awe. In dead silence he walked past his brother to where Scott had collapsed again, his leg still not healed. Ignoring Scott’s protests, he had rifled through all of his jacket pockets until he found his cell phone, before tossing a rag at Bonnie.

“Put pressure on the wound.” he had said rather hastily before not even bothering to step away as he made the call. Then, he hung up, and lowered the phone to a sea of startled faces.

“Oh my god.”

Davina, irony of ironies, was the first to break the spell of silence. As if in a trance, she began to step away from the group. “Oh my god. We almost killed him, for you. We almost- we almost-”

Stiles smiled, snakelike, and that’s how everyone knew it wasn’t over. “It’s amazing what people will do once enough pressure is applied. Every conscious is malleable.”

“This was all a trick.” Scott said with contempt. “You tricked us. Both of you.” He looked back and forth from Kai to Stiles.

A distinctly accented voice caught Scott’s attention from the back of the plaza. “All three of us.” Kol said with a languid smile.

 

_Mystic Falls_

“I’m waiting....” Enzo taunted.

Elena and Stefan sat together on the sofa, and they looked at eachother as if steeling themselves.

“Well,” Stefan began. “It isn’t just our friends that are missing. Kai’s gone too.”

“That’s good news!” Enzo exclaimed. “So why do you two look significantly worried?”

“Because he went to California to hunt down a friend of ours!” Elena said rather quickly. “Stiles.”

Tyler nearly dropped his coffee mug in shock, but Enzo merely blinked furiously. “What the hell is a Stiles?”

“Junior year.” Tyler supplied before Stefan or Elena could. “Back when Mystic Falls only _looked_ creepy. Literally one day after Stefan and Damon made themselves known, this guy, Stiles, showed up at school, joined all our classes.”

“Turns out he was actually a sophomore at the time, considering he’s about to be a senior now, but that isn’t the point.” Elena interjected.

“Right.” Tyler continued. “It was before any of us knew about the whole vampire thing, so nobody suspected him. But _he_ suspected Stefan and Damon.”

Enzo blinked a few times. “He was a hunter?”

Elena nodded. “Long story short, he killed my doppelganger, Katherine Pierce.”

“I bloody know who Katherine is, Elena.” Enzo said. “But I must say, that’s impressive. This hunter have a last name?”

“Winchester.”

Enzo choked on the coffee Elena had given him, eyes wide. “You’re freaking friends with a _Winchester_ and you didn’t think to tell me?”

Elena shrugged. “It never came up.”

Enzo looked to the ceiling exasperatedly. “It never came-”

“Hold on!” Tyler shouted. “Kai went after him? How did he even know about him? And good God, why?”

“Damon and Bonnie talked about him in the prison world.” Stefan said. “Something must have piqued his interest. Last I heard, Damon and Bonnie were heading down to New Orleans with two of Stiles’ werewolf friends.”

Tyler flinched at that.

“Werewolf friends.” Enzo repeated with distaste. “Hunters never cease to amaze me.”

“But what about Caroline?” Tyler asked.

Elena looked guilty. “She turned off her humanity after the funeral. She snapped my neck and ran.”

Enzo and Tyler stared at her. “That, Elena, that is something you mention!” Enzo growled. “She could be anywhere! Doing anything!”

“Ah, about that...” Stefan said, looking sheepish. “We think she might have... kidnapped Matt. We can’t find him anywhere, and Damon didn’t mention bringing him along.”

Tyler looked stupefied at the thought of a humanity-less Caroline with his best friend. Enzo, however, stood up and angrily began pacing.

“So here’s what we’re going to do.” he snarled. “You two have had your chance to fix things, it’s our turn. We’re going over to Jo and Alaric’s house, and you are explaining everything. Then, the six of us together will formulate a plan. Any objections?” Elena opened her mouth to speak but Enzo plowed on. “No? Good. But before we go, there’s a lesson you two need to learn. Ignorance isn’t bliss. Not by a longshot.”

 

_New Orleans_

Suddenly, Sam let out a groan. The effect was imminent as everyone stepped back to give him space, a wide circle forming around the body, with only Sam and Bonnie tending to him at the center. Kai was still being restrained by Liam and Malia (no one was going near Kol) and Stiles stepped forward bravely towards his brother. He kneeled down by Sam’s head, and Bonnie leaned as far away from him as she could while still pressing the ruby cloth onto Sam’s knife wound, which still had the knife in it.

Sam’s eyes fluttered open to a strange sight. Feet. Lots of feet. He was lying facedown, and there were white-hot knives in his back. No, make that an actual knife. As far as he could tell, he still possessed all of his weapons, though he was sure that would change. Morning sunlight was flooding into the room he was in, and then he remembered. Finding Scott. Meeting Kai. The chaos that erupted afterwards. Suddenly a pair of feet were getting closer and closer, and soon their owner crouched down and Sam was met with Stiles’ concerned face.

“Stiles!” Sam exclaimed, ignoring the new wave of pain speaking caused him.

“Heya, Sammy.” Stiles said. “You want the good news first or the bad?”

How did Sam get stabbed. “Bad news first.”

“Okay.” Stiles said, taking a deep breath. “The bad news is that there is a knife in your back, which must have been pretty obvious. You’re in danger of bleeding out, but I’ve got someone putting pressure on the wound and the danger must have subsided if you’re conscious again. However, I don’t think I can take it out, not without going to a hospital, and you know how complicated that will get.”

“And the good news?” Sam asked, gritting his teeth.

“The good news is that I knew what I was doing. No ripped tendons, no spinal intrusions, you’re going to be fine.”

Sam nodded in agreement, but then a look of confusion crossed his face as his pain-addled brain kicked into gear.

“Wait- _you_ knew what you were doing?”

Stiles nodded. “Mhm. Yeah, I mean, Dean taught me to throw knives when I was like seven.”

Sam’s heart panged at the mention of Dean, but he ignored it as he began to grow uneasy. “You stabbed me?”

“Well, yeah.”

Sam would have scrambled to his feet- or scrambled for some holy water- if he could bring himself to move but he couldn’t. Instead, he watched his brother warily as he asked, “Why?”

Stiles scoffed in disdain, and alarm bells rang in Sam’s head. “Well I could say it was for leaving me in the dark after you took down the leviathans, or maybe for all the other times you’ve made me believe the pair of you were dead, or for stranding me in Mystic Falls with a killer vampire on the loose, or exposing my secret to my friends at the worse possible time, or countless other things. I could even pin Allison’s death on you, but it isn’t any of those things. I stabbed you because you were about to murder my accomplice and you needed to be stopped.”

“Your accomplice?” Sam said incredulously, noticing too late the ice-cold glint in his brother’s eyes. “Stiles, this guy kidnapped you! Whatever he’s done to your head, whatever hate he’s redirected at me, it isn’t real!”

“You’d be right about that.” Stiles said. “If I did hate you. But the truth is, all those things I mentioned, all those little betrayals you’ve done, I don’t really care about those anymore. In fact,” Stiles reached over to the knife in Sam’s back and grabbed the hilt, “I don’t even care about you.” Stiles yanked the knife unceremoniously out of Sam’s back, and white hot fire erupted inside of him. Sam howled, and Bonnie rushed to stop the wave of fresh blood that emerged as Stiles stood, triumphant and cold, twirling his little silver knife covered in his brother’s blood. He turned his back on a suffering Sam, and made his way out of the circle.

“And where are you going?” Kai asked his ‘associate.’

“Matt’s not here. Or did it escape your attention?”

The shocked look on Kai’s face said that it had, in fact, escaped his attention.

Stiles sighed. “Malia, Liam, drop him. We both know you’re too scared to do anything.”

Malia and Liam looked at each other uncertainly, but let Kai go, reluctantly.

“So here’s how it’s going to go.” Stiles said. “None of you can leave this building. Kai and Kol have enough power between them to take on all of you. I don’t know what to do with all of you and I don’t really care, but rest assured, I’ll be back. Will someone be so kind as to feed my brother some vampire blood in about 20 minutes?” Stiles asked with a small smile. “There’s no reason Sam has to suffer any more than he already has.”

Stiles was mocking him. Sam knew that. But even through the agony Sam was in currently, he knew for a fact that he had suffered worse. And he knew that the glint in Stiles’ eyes looked horribly familiar. It wasn’t the sloppy mania of the nogitsune, though that experience had probably helped shape the creature before him. No, this was Stiles, but so much more cold and calculating. And suddenly, Sam knew.

“I know what Kai did to you!” Sam shouted (probably unwisely) at Stiles’ retreating back.

Stiles turned. “Oh?” he asked in mild interest.

Sam nodded, or as much as could while lying facedown in unbelievable pain. “It takes one to know one. Tell me Stiles, how does it feel to have no soul?”

Stiles stopped, then turned towards his brother. Without missing a beat he replied, smiling coldly. “Rather liberating, like seeing the happiness in utter, absolute misery. But then, you would know, Sam. It does take one to know one, after all.”

Everybody except for Kai looked rather shocked at this revelation, but then again, Stiles didn’t care. He turned on his heel and stepped out of the house and into the misty morning.


	16. Hunter's Moon

Ch. 16

Hunter’s Moon

Matt hadn’t been thinking, or if he had it was a quick decision. They told him to run, and he did. Down the staircase, with the others, and then when they had peeled off to join an ever-growing brawl, he had simply run straight for the wide open doors. Before they had raced towards the stairs after Kai had left them, Damon had told Matt something. _Donovan, there’s a slight chance that we could all die in here. This is not like me at all, but first chance you get, get out. You are the only one that can outrun them all and get through the barrier. So do it. Don’t be afraid to leave us in the dust. Because when the dust settles, we can bounce back. You can’t._

So Matt ran. He felt a little resistance on the threshold, but paid it no attention, and he tuned out the cacophony behind him as he raced into the morning. Matt didn’t stop there, though. He turned a corner, raced down a little picturesque street, and only slowed down to a walk when he had gotten swallowed by the masses of tourists and locals alike. He had to slow down, or else he would have been barreling through a crowd, but every slow step Matt took felt like a siren. He needed to get far, far away, where Stiles or Kai or Kol could never find him.

Now, that would be tricky. They had told him there were werewolves in the bayou and vampires across the river, but Matt knew he couldn’t go to either place. Kol knew the city, and once they realized Matt was missing, those would be the first places they’d check. So, he needed to get help, but from where?

Then, up ahead, a store caught his eye. What were the chances that all of these self-proclaimed witches in town were real? He ducked inside the store..

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Matt asked the elderly woman behind a counter of overflowing plants. “Could I possibly borrow your cell phone?”

“Why, sure!” the woman exclaimed. “But can I ask why?”

“Well...” Matt said with an awkward laugh, “long story short, I was kidnapped by a vampire. It’s all good now, but I still need to call my friend.”

Matt had to stifle a laugh at the shocked look on the woman’s face. She handed him her phone hurriedly. He turned it over in his hand for a few minutes, contemplating on who to call. Finally, he decided and dialed, but he wasn’t sure it was entirely him who made the decision.

_“I know what I am. And I hope you know that you’re human. In the eyes of your friends, you’re expendable. So, Vicki, Mayor Lockwood, my dear old brother Luke.... you’re next. And it won’t be me. It won’t be Stiles. It will be your own stupid humanity.”_

Matt’s escape paid off when he heard a panicked hello at the other end of the line. “Tyler, hey...”

_Mystic Falls_

“Matt!” Tyler shouted, making every vampire in the vicinity cover their eardrums. “It’s Matt!” Quickly, he put his cell phone down on Jo’s coffee table and put it on speaker, while he Jo, and Alaric crowded around it. Elena, Enzo, and Stefan merely used their vampire hearing. “Matt,” Tyler asked hurriedly, “what’s wrong, are you okay?”

“Not really.” Came Matt’s rapid reply.

“Did Caroline kidnap you?” Elena asked.

“Yes. But that’s not the big deal. She had the bright idea to drive down to New Orleans.”

Everyone froze. “But Matt,” Alaric said tentatively, “That’s where Kai took Stiles.”

“Yep. We ran into both of them, Damon and Bonnie, and just about the entire McCall pack.” Matt said. As Stefan was pacing around the coffee table in Mystic Falls, Matt was crouched in a corner of the store, looking around furtively for anyone he recognized.

“What happened?” Jo asked.

“What do you think happened?” Matt snapped, causing everyone on the other end of the line to recoil in shock. “Guys, I’m sorry.” he said. “But I don’t have a lot of time. The Mikaelson manor has turned into a murder house, and the only reason I can talk to you guys is because I was human enough to make it past the barrier Kai set up, and everyone was too occupied in a bloodbath to see me slip away. At least, that’s what I’m banking on.”

“Hang on, the Mikaelsons? Why are they-” Elena began.

“They live here.” Matt said rather rudely. “Kol is crazy, Rebekah is a witch, Klaus is daggered and Elijah’s missing. Guys, I’ll explain everything later but I’m running out of time! My life is in danger, and I know some of the present company may have a hard time understanding that-” Elena, Enzo, Stefan and even Alaric flinched- “but, to quote Damon, there’s a very good chance that all of us are going to die today.”

Matt was met with a stunned silence.

“Guys!” he said with exasperation.

“Alright, mate,” Enzo said, leaning forward towards the phone, “That last barb was uncalled for, but I can understand, you’re under duress. Luckily, I’ve had my fair share of great escapes. What you need to understand is that we can’t come down and get you. It’ll take too long and frankly make a hellish situation even more complicated. So here’s what you’re going to do. Find a tourist, steal their wallet, don’t worry about ethics, your life is on the line. Now, anyone looking for you will be expecting you to hide and figure out a way to save your friends, so that’s exactly what you are not going to do, not yet anyway. Find a library, look up bus departure times, find the first one available, wait it out by picking up a book and reading it, then walk to the bus stop as indirect as possible while still staying in a crowded, touristy place. Don’t walk too fast, don’t be too direct, hide in plain sight. Don’t be obvious, head west at first instead of east. Call us when you’re a good 100 miles away. Do you understand? You can do this, Matt.”

Matt took a deep breath, feeling better after receiving some direction. “You’re the last person I’d expect to be thanking, Enzo.” Until Enzo had calmed him down, Matt hadn’t even been aware he had been freaking out.

Enzo chuckled. “Well, it would be awful to die at the hands of Malachi, the teenage witch.”

Matt’s calm immediately evaporated. “Guys, I have to go, but there’s something I forgot to tell you. Stiles isn’t-”

Silence.

“Isn’t what, Matt?” Tyler asked eagerly. He picked up the phone and saw to his horror that the call had been disconnected. “Matt!”

 

_New Orleans_

In retrospect, Matt shouldn’t have been facing the wall. But that wasn’t his first mistake. Stiles had felt a little resistance as he had stepped out from the mansion into the morning light, but had cast it aside. Calculating, he looked around the street he found himself in. Matt was a hunter, or at least on his way to becoming one. He knew how to track, but he wasn’t far enough along to learn how to hide. Therefore, he would be direct in his escape. There was a corner to the right of Stiles, which Matt would have most likely rounded because 1, it was nearby, and 2, Matt was right-handed, meaning going right would have subconsciously felt safer and more logical. Stiles went around the corner and saw a busy street, but he wasn’t deterred. Matt would have felt the need to hide or get help, which means he probably wasn’t in the large crowd. He was in one of the shops. Looking at the signs, Stiles stopped when a particular one caught his eye. _Laura May’s Herbs and Talismans._

A witch shop.

Matt wasn’t stupid. He would know better than to go to regular humans for help. He would go to a witch.

Stiles wove through a particularly flamboyant crowd of tourists and into the store, wincing as the bell above his head tinkled. Luckily, the store was busy, and no one paid him any heed as he entered, gathering his surroundings quickly. An elderly woman stood behind the desk- Laura May, most likely- and all of the shoppers were probably older than thirty, pouring over rows of potted herbs and racks of metal pendants, even a few reading nearby books. Stiles looked to his left and saw one such stack of books, and grabbed the one on top hastily and flipped through it. It was a book on plant classification, and he cringed once he saw what page he had landed on. _Mistletoe. Good times._

Bringing the book up to eye level, Stiles peered over the top of it and took another look around the store. Everyone was busy, and definitely not Matt, and Laura May oversaw them all with a beady eye- no, wait. She wasn’t looking around the store. She was looking with worry at something in the back left corner. Stiles’ view was obstructed by a rather large plant so he ever so inconspicuously shifted to the left, and yep, there was Matt. Back to the store, talking on the phone. That was bad.

Stiles ever so cautiously inched closer to him, pretending to gaze at the various plants and use his prop book to identify them. Once he got within ten feet of Matt, he heard.

“Guys, I have to go, but there’s something you have to know.”

Uh oh.

“Stiles isn’t-”

Stiles had his hand around Matt’s mouth and his head in a headlock before Matt could finish the sentence. Very quickly, he removed his hand from Matt’s mouth and hung up the phone before replacing it.

“Don’t even think about it.” he warned as Matt struggled to lift Stiles’ elbow from around his neck. “And don’t even think about screaming. This store is full of witches and warlocks but do you think they are a match for me?” Matt seemed to consider this, and after a moment, he stopped struggling, slumping in defeat with a look of angry resonation.

“Okay,” Stiles said once Matt had stopped thrashing. “I’m going to let you go now. Do you understand that running is futile?”

Matt nodded to the best of his abilities.

“Good.” Stiles did as he promised and released Matt, who promptly turned to face him with angry eyes.

“Kill me if you want, Stiles,” he spat, “but I’m not going back to that hell house.”

Matt had expected Stiles to grin wickedly and drag him away, or take out the Colt hidden in his waistband and shoot him, or open his mouth and let some venomous words fall out. Therefore, he was very surprised when Stiles let out an exasperated laugh and rolled his eyes.

“Trust me, Matt, by the time we walk back there, you’ll have changed your tune.”

Matt narrowed his eyes. “Oh really?”

Stiles sighed again. “Yes, really. Now why don’t you give that cell phone back to Laura May, and we’ll get going.”

Matt stood there for a second, blinking rapidly, no doubt weighing his options. Eventually, he decided that he actually didn’t have a choice. He handed the phone back to a rather flustered shopkeeper, (Laura May, Stiles had called her) and had grimaced as Stiles held the door open for him. Soon they were on the street, and the door shut between Matt and his sanctuary of witches.

Stiles had his hands in his pockets, looking down at the cobbled street with a thoughtful expression as he walked languidly down it’s path, and for the first time since this whole ordeal Matt thought that Stiles was beginning to look more like the boy who he had met in Mystic Falls, before Klaus, before the Alpha pack, before Silas, before the nogitsune. Matt had never seen the toll Stiles’ trials had taken on him, given that this was the first he had seen him in over a year, but the evidence was there. Though weightless, Stiles’ shoulders sagged, and there was a heavy glare in his eyes that spoke volumes. Even through the cold indifference, Stiles’ suffering was made known.

But why act so innocent all of the sudden?

A few more minutes of silence passed, before Stiles gestured into a nearby and empty alley. Against his better judgement, Matt complied, and they now stood facing eachother against dueling walls of orange brick.

“What do you want, Stiles?” Matt asked, unsettled by the silence of the stroll.

Stiles sighed again. “I’m not one of the bad guys, Matt.”

“Excuse me?”

“Look,” Stiles said, completely at ease despite the monumental question, “do you trust me?”

“No.” Matt said, as if it were obvious. “You lied about who you were when I first met you, and let’s not forget about the fact that you just manipulated us, shot your best friend, chased my friends through the house, petrified Klaus-”

“You’re upset about that?” Stiles asked somewhat incredulously.

“-and are in leagues with a fratricidal psycho who is terrorizing my hometown and just beat me up with a baseball bat. No, Stiles, why in my right mind would I trust you?”

Instead of looking downtrodden, or possibly angry, Stiles looked mildly amused. “Fratricidal psychopath. That’s what Damon called him.”

“I know.” Matt said bitterly. “I was there. Because right after he got off of the phone with Kai, he turned to me and told me where he was going. So I had to panic because you were taken. And then, when Caroline kidnapped me- oh, I guess you didn’t know that. She flipped her humanity because nowadays vampires don’t give a crap about human life- she told me she was going to New Orleans, and the only reason I did not freak out was because I knew you were here, too. And then I get here and find out that you’ve done basically the same thing as her. The first chance you get, you throw away any burden of caring and toss around human life like it’s nothing. You’re just as bad as them, Stiles! Only you don’t bother to hide behind an excuse. No, Stiles, I don’t trust you because you have let me down in the worst way.”

Stiles was solemn, all traces of humor gone as he cocked his head to the side and analyzed Matt. When he spoke, it wasn’t what Matt was expecting. “Matt, who did you call?”

Matt swallowed, suddenly nervous. He just accused Stiles of basically being a monster, and... and nothing. Stiles didn’t really seem to care. What was going on?

“Tyler.” he said. “I called Tyler.”

“Why? I mean, why him? Stefan and Elena surely would have been a better bet, being vampires and thus better able to assist you? So why Tyler, who, to my knowledge, is human and thus far more limited?”

“You mean useless.” Matt stated.

Stiles laughed coldly, took his hands out of his pockets, and spread his arms widely. “I’m human. Do I look useless?”

“No, I guess not.” Matt admitted grudgingly.

“The question still stands, Matt.” Stiles prompted.

“Well I ended up talking to Stefan and Elena anyway, so it really doesn’t matter.” Matt said.

“It does,” Stiles replied, “because you’re starting to trust supernatural creatures less and less. That’s normal, especially for a hunter, and it’d be fine, if those thoughts were entirely your own.”

“What do you mean?” Matt asked. Inside, he was asking himself why he was talking with ‘the enemy.’

“Your initial distrusts of vampires were already there, Matt, but I’m guessing Kai said something to you on the subject. He’s trying to manipulate you, and it’s working. Be wary of that the next time you make a decision.”

Matt considered this, and he was horrified to find that Stiles was right. Kai had been hinting at the insecurity Matt had with the vampires, before outright predicting that Matt would be the next one to die. Unnerved, Matt had called Tyler.

“Why are you doing this, Stiles?” Matt asked, deeply unsettled. “Why are you helping me?”

Stiles looked at him inquisitively. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m not one of the bad guys.”

Matt scoffed. “Oh, really.”

“Really.” Stiles said, and the serious look he gave Matt halted both of them. They stood, facing eachother in the cobblestone alley as pedestrians passed them by. “Really, Matt, I’m surprised you have so little faith in me. Or that your logic skills are incredibly inadequate. Have you learned nothing from what I’ve told you?”

Matt crossed his arms defensively. “I remember you telling Jeremy and I that being hunters would get us killed.”

Stiles laughed harshly with a look of mild frustration. “Was I wrong? You two have each died more than me! And do you want to know how I know that? Because we tell each other things. You know everything about Beacon Hills, I know everything about Mystic Falls. But there are things I have told you and Jeremy, just you two, that I haven’t even told anyone in my pack save for Lydia and Allison; how to be a hunter, my times with my brothers, what makes us Winchesters tick. You have more valuable information than you even realize. Use it.”

“What’s your point, Stiles?” Matt asked with exasperation, even though his brain was kicking into gear. It was true. While everyone settled around the Salvatore dinner table every Sunday to give Stiles their weekly update (except for the four months after the other side had collapsed and the mess that followed), Matt and Jeremy, or sometimes one or the other, would talk to Stiles up to five times a week. And while he would tell everyone about Jackson the Kanima, he would tell only Matt and Jeremy about his half brother Adam, the apocalypse that almost was, shapeshifter his brothers had killed, shapeshifters he had killed, his few but memorable hunts with the Winchesters and other tales of the sort. He taught them how to fight wendigos and feral werewolves (not like Tyler) and even his kind of vampire. And here he was now suggesting Matt use that knowledge against him, but it would be useless. Stiles had never told him how to take down a far more superior hunter.

Stiles spread his arms wide in a silent plea. “My point, Matt, is that I can safely say my brother is the devil incarnate, and you can confirm that. Do you really think I can’t handle a little manipulation?”

Matt wasn’t moving, but even so he was able to come to a grinding halt. “Wait, what? Are you saying that all of that in there, shooting Scott, losing your goddamn mind, it was all an ACT?” Matt wasn’t even aware he was shouting, but somehow his fist had ended up very close to Stiles’ face.

“You missed the part where I faked my death and stabbed my brother.” Stiles added dryly.

“WHAT?”

“Let me rephrase that.” Stiles said cautiously, backtracking. “I’m not saying it was all an act, I’m saying there’s more here that meets the eye. Figure it out, Matt.”

Matt groaned in frustration. His friends were left alone with Kai and Kol and he was stuck here trying to solve a riddle! “Why should I?” he asked, “seeing as you’re more than willing to offer up the information.”

“Because you won’t believe me.” Stiles said with a mischievous grin. “Not until I lay out all the facts.” And so Stiles explained, in excruciating detail, everything that had happened since Matt had left the manor, up until Stiles himself made an exit. When he finished, Matt looked dumbfounded, swimming in more information then he knew what to do with.

But then something seemed to click, a final piece of the puzzle that made everything make sense.

“You understand, don’t you.” Stiles said cryptically.

“I think so.” Matt said. “The way you described it, it sounded like Kai’s recreating of your most traumatic experience with the nogitsune unleash whatever it left behind. But that isn’t really what happened, was it?”

“It is what happened. But firstly, it’s what also happened to Isaac.” Stiles offered, grinning as he was finally making progress. “All of those personalities in his head, it was enough to drive anyone crazy. The right push, and it eventually happened. Now as for me, I’m only one person. I’m not a formerly psychotic vampire forced into the body of a werewolf/witch. All I have is some nemeton-induced darkness that, thanks to the nogitsune, got about 50 shades darker. This result that you see here?” He gestured to himself. “It wouldn’t have been enough. I would have been different, for sure, possibly sadistic, but I wouldn’t have turned on everyone with the snap of Kai’s fingers. Kai succeeded in breaking me, he succeeded in unlocking what the nogitsune left behind. So why am I this?”

“When you left the mansion,Sam. bleeding out, said you had no soul.” Matt said. “And he would know, wouldn’t he? You told me about what happened after he got out of hell.”

Stiles nodded. “The only problem is that the only things that can remove a human soul from it’s body are angels, demons, and hellhounds, none of which Kai has. But what does he have?”

“Magic.” Matt supplied. Stiles nodded, and realization hit Matt like a ton of bricks. “He used magic to surpress your soul.”

“Yes.” Stiles said, his cold look beginning to be burdened with worry. “I have no idea how, but yes. Me daggering Klaus, I think it was the trigger to a spell.”

“Then why work against Kai now, if both of you are practically souless people hell-bent on destruction?” Matt asked angrily.

And just like that, the worry in Stiles’ eyes evaporated. Matt groaned. He had been tricked.

“I’m not.” Stiles said with a languid smile and a step forward, boxing Matt into the wall of the alley.. “Because I wasn’t working with Kai in the first place. I’m not like my soulless brother. I’m not a sadist. But part of me, the part that Kai unlocked, well it is. And isn’t that a pickle?”

Matt frantically searched his pockets for weapons and came up empty-handed. “What?” he couldn’t help but ask, eyeing Stiles’ maliciously glinting eyes with apprehension. “What do you mean by that?”

“It means that without a soul, I shouldn’t care enough about you guys to enjoy inflicting pain. But thanks to the nogitsune, I do.”

“You’re not going to kill us.” Matt gasped out, fear gripping him like a vice.

“I want to.” Stiles mused. “But at the same time, I don’t care enough to. And then there’s the hunter that’s been locked away, begging me to stop. It’s really quite distracting.”

“And you can’t make up your mind.” Matt said. “So why not just let us go?” he asked hopefully.

His hope was crushed as Stiles rolled his eyes. “Because you’re not my prisoners anymore, Matt. You’re bait.”

 _This,_ Matt was not expecting. So it was with some surprise strength that he pushed Stiles, hard, and the fellow hunter stumbled back a few steps in surprise.

“WHY?” Matt shouted. “What could you POSSIBLY be hoping to catch?” His sorrow was evident in his voice, he knew, but he could not help it. He had been so close to getting away- to helping his friends- only to have Stiles reel him back in like a fish.

Stiles stumbled away from Matt in surprise, but didn’t flinch at Matt’s raised tone. He didn’t even look angry.

“I’m not unreasonable, Matt.” Stiles said evenly. “Actually, I’m more calculating than ever. And something doesn’t add up. Kai’s actions are haphazard and they’re leading nowhere. He tried to control me so I’m going to return the favor. But here’s what’s unsettling: he kidnapped me to get revenge on his coven, and since he changed me, he hasn’t mentioned it since. For the brief time that I’ve been with him, I know Kai, and it isn’t like him to come up with such a brilliant plan only for the ending to be so sloppy. Something changed. He told me about the merge, you know, and if what he described is true, he shouldn’t be like this, like _me_. Luke’s personality should have impacted him somehow.”

“Again, I’ll ask. Why are you telling me this?” Matt asked through gritted teeth.

Stiles laughed. “Because I’m an evil villain who can’t resist monologuing all of my evil plans. And here’s the part where you get to play hero.” Stiles took a slow step away from Matt. “I’m not irrational. I know I can’t be quasi-soulless forever, even though I enjoy it _immensely_. I didn’t just kill everyone, even though it would have been so easy, because that would get me nowhere. I know that the bad guys can’t win, because then there would be no more stories.” And then he smiled again, so cold and yet so empty. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t twist the sword before pulling it out. Scott knows what I’m talking about.”

“You’re crazy.” Matt murmured.

“You’re right. So here’s where things get complicated. You, Matt, are free to go.” Matt looked shocked and ecstatic so Stiles plowed on. “That being said, you are the only person in this town, in this world, with the knowledge of how to stop me. You can go back to the mansion and use it, or you can go get help, and return to discover all of your friends’ bodies. It’s your choice.”

Matt gaped at him, at the audacity to swiftly give him freedom and yet just as quickly take it away. But what could he do? Because obviously, it wasn’t a choice. His shoulders sagged as he stared at his captor.

“You were always a better hunter than me.” Matt said demurely as he stepped away from the alley wall.  
Stiles gestured for him to lead the way. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. I never taught you how to hunt hunters.” He paused as they both made their way into the still bustling street. “It isn’t necessary. They’re too predictable. And how odd that I think that, because in a world of supernaturals, I’m making this a story about us humans.”


	17. Do I Wanna Know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so this is one of the last chapters I have written for the story. Enjoy!

Ch. 17

Do I Wanna Know?

It was odd, really, how Kol and Kai seemed to deflate once Stiles had left. Other than force the group to sit at the center of the plaza, they hadn’t harmed anyone, merely glared at them all with the occasional well-placed sneer.

That is, until Davina spoke.

“You were unconscious.” she said accusingly at Kol. “Out cold, in pain. I made sure of it. How did you get back up so quickly?”

“Well, it wasn’t easy.” Kol said with a teasing smile. “But thanks to Isaac’s rather unique background, my pain tolerance is quite high.”

Sam was still groaning in pain, and Bonnie frantically checked her watch while still tending to him. “It’s been twenty minutes.” she said, exhaustion and confusion permeating her otherwise commanding tone. “Can we heal him now?”

Kol and Kai glanced at eachother, and Kai gave a curt nod. “Sure thing, Bon-Bon.” he said with a light tone that made Bonnie sick to her stomach. “And then we can catch up.”

Damon was the vampire nearest to Bonnie and Sam, and he hastily bit into his wrist and offered it. Bonnie gingerly moved it to where Sam could easily drink from it, and at first he waved it off, but then Damon practically shoved the bleeding appendage into his face.

“Drink!” he ordered, and Sam did, relaxing almost immediately as the knife wound began to close. He only took a few sips, enough to close the wound and replace his lost blood, and yet not enough to completely dull the pain. Sam sat up almost instantly, and made to thank Damon, but the vampire cut him off. “Consider it thanks for Katherine Pierce. You should have some more, no way it doesn’t still hurt.”

“It does.” Sam said with gratitude, “but I think you can understand that sometimes it’s worse to take away all the pain.”

An understanding seemed to pass between the two, both acknowledging that out of all the hell they had faced, sometimes a little pain was the reminder they needed to know that they could still feel, that they weren’t already dead.

Or in Damon’s case, close enough.

Sam then stood to his full height and whirled on Kol and Kai. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you two.”

Kai barely flinched at the intimidation. Without missing a beat, he replied. “Because then Stiles will come back and he will kill everyone else. Including you.”

Sam looked like he was about to offer a scathing retort, but just then, the doors to the manor opened and Stiles walked in, followed by a glum Matt.

“Who am I going to kill?” Stiles asked nonchalantly as he pushed Matt towards the circle where everyone else was residing.

“Stiles.” Sam said harshly, staring him down. Stiles stared right back, and Kol and Kai edged out of the immediate area.

“What, Sam? You going to tell me to stop it? That this isn’t me?” Stiles simpered with a mocking gaze.

“No,” Sam said, stoic, “because you’re right. If anyone knows what you’re going through, it’s me. And I guess this is you, Stiles. I guess you’re just a jackass who ties up and kills his own friends.”

Stiles laughed harshly, undeterred by Sam’s flimsy attempt at reverse psychology. “Now that’s rich!” he said happily, shaking his finger at his brother. “I, Sam, am so much better off than you! The only reason you didn’t kill all of your friends was because you had no friends left to kill! I suppose it doesn’t matter, since they all died because of you anyway-” Sam flinched. “-but no. Instead, you abandoned your brother, nearly killed your surrogate father, and crisscrossed the country with your sadistic grandfather you knew nothing about, beating innocent lives to a pulp. And you wondered why Dean’s skin crawled every time you walked in the door, why he ran to me for comfort, or why they could possibly want to get rid of you. Monster, human, innocent, guilty, you didn’t care who got in your way. They were all decimated on your insatiable quest for purgatory. Well tell me, Sammy, how did that work out? Where’s your angel? Where’s our other brother?”

“You bastard!” Sam exclaimed, lunging for Stiles, but Kai and Kol held him back before he could get too far. Stiles stood before him, smirking, easily dodging his brother’s swipes. The cruel thing was, he hadn’t raised his voice a single decibel. He didn't need to.

Kai and Kol held Sam down while Stiles offered him a quick roundhouse kick to the stomach. Sam doubled over in pain but it took a few more kicks before he was back on the ground. Stiles knelt down next to him and put his hand on his back in what was supposed to be an affectionate gesture, but instead dug his fingernails into where the knife wound once lay, and if Sam’s reaction was any indication, where some pain still lingered.

“Don’t be fooled.” Stiles whispered. “Kai isn’t the one calling the shots here. I am.” Then he raised his eyes to the rest of the group. “Scotty.” he called. “Maybe we should take that bullet out now.”

 

_Somewhere on a highway in California_

“I don’t know, Sheriff.” Parrish said with a sigh. “What if we’re making a mistake? What if we should listen to Stiles’ warning?”

“We’re not.” John said gruffly, “and I’ll tell you why. Stiles’ brothers taught him things, like how in times of danger, it is crucial to have a language with which to communicate with your allies. Codewords, if you will, though it’s really more complicated than that. Stiles knew that by calling me, I’d be on my way no matter what, but he let me know that he wasn’t actually alone, even though he said he was. Whoever kidnapped Stiles thinks we aren’t coming. We have the element of surprise.”

“What was the codeword?” Parrish asked, intrigued.

Sheriff Stilinski chuckled. “Well if I told you, that would defeat the purpose of having a secret language.”

 

_New Orleans_

It was an interesting sight, Stiles, sadistic soulless sociopath extraordinaire, sitting crosslegged on the floor with Scott’s leg in his lap, studying the bullet wound intently with a hovering pair of tweezers. It was almost comical, but no one did laugh. Scott winced though, and his leg twitched every time Stiles’ hand ‘accidentally’ slipped.

“Careful, now.” Stiles chided. “If you move too much I might accidentally shove the bullet in further.”

Scott barely held back a whimper, everyone else from Beacon Hills angry at how so easily Stiles could reduce their mighty alpha to something like this.

_But,_ Kira supposed, _if anyone could do that, it would be Stiles._ That was the scary part. Though Stiles was only human, he was the most powerful and dangerous person in the pack. It wasn’t just because he was an amazing hunter with a name that could strike fear into the hearts of several supernatural creatures. No, it was because he was smart, almost as smart as Lydia, and resourceful, and like Lydia his resources spanned beyond books and websites and on to emotions, thoughts, and feelings. With a few words he could make them all feel fearless or guilty, and most of all, they trusted him to use that power for good. They trusted him, in fact, with their secrets, their emotions, their sanity, and, by extension, their lives. Kira hadn’t been to town when Alexander had wreaked havoc on Beacon Hills. That had, actually, been only a few days before her arrival, but she hadn’t seen Stiles in his hunting mode. What she had seen is what the nogitsune had done to him, and that had been nearly irreversible. All the power Stiles had had over them was wielded against them and it nearly wiped them out. And now it was happening again, only Stiles was in control, which was probably worse. And lastly, they couldn’t bear to hurt him. So, Kira concluded, with all of his power, it made perfect sense why Stiles would be the one who could reduce their alpha to a quivering mess and tear their pack apart.

“You alright there, Kira?” Stiles asked suddenly, causing Kira to jump, meanwhile keeping his eyes on Scott, who hissed after a painful prod. “You look awfully thoughtful.”

“Um, yeah.” Kira said tentatively, and all eyes swiveled to her. “I just...” she trailed off, hopping Stiles would merely focus on Scott again. No such luck.

“You just?” Stiles prompted, and when she kept quiet Scott hissed again, almost as if Stiles was threatening Kira with Scott’s pain. It certainly worked.

“I just- I figured out why the nogitsune chose you.” Kira admitted lamely, waiting for Stiles to get angry.

Stiles shrugged. “So do I.” he said. “He told me. Taunted me, actually, about how Scott may be the leader, but he was useless without me. Then he proceeded to exploit that.”

“A nogitsune.” Rebekah said harshly. “What, were vampires not enough?”

Stiles looked up at her. “You know, we didn’t get a chance to introduce ourselves properly at the party, Rebekah.” he said, “But keep in mind that the nogitsune was a thousand years old.”

“So am I.” Rebekah snarled. “And there’s no introduction necessary, I can put two and two together. You killed Katerina Petrova, well good job. But I’m not scared of you.”

“No,” Stiles mused. “You’re scared for your siblings. Where is Elijah, anyhow? And I don’t mean the doppelganger that I stabbed through the heart.”

Rebekah looked ashen. “I don’t know.”

Scott whined softly.

“Scott, hold still!” Stiles chided. Then, to the rest of the crowd, “who was the one who outed the shifter?”

Jeremy raised his hand. “Me.” he said solemnly.

Stiles nodded duefully like he was expecting it. “And what did you say to him?”

“‘Tatia’s dead.’” Jeremy replied, ignoring Rebekah’s glare and Damon and Bonnie’s puzzled glances.

Stiles hummed as he pulled out a little bone fragment from Scott’s knee. “Why?”

“Because vampires have two sets of memories.” Jeremy said, clearly repeating a previous conversation between the pair. “A shapeshifter can download the memories of the human they copy, but for a creature with two sets of memories, it would be too complicated, so they’d have to pick one. Elijah’s shifter chose his post mortum memories, therefore he wouldn’t remember Tatia.”

“That’s why the shifter didn’t know who Kira or Isaac were,” Davina said with realization, “when he confronted me.”

“See, it’s so nice having you all here to think for me,” Stiles said breezily as Scott flinched again, “even if you do miss the point. Because why was he here in the first place?”

“Why does it matter?” Caroline said rather venomously.

“Because I say it does, Caroline. Or did you think I would overlook the fact that you kidnapped someone I was personally invested in?” Stiles replied, just as poisonous. “Or that you attacked Mason. It was awfully kind of you to feed him your blood, but something tells me it wasn’t of your own accord.”

Caroline flinched.

Malia squinted at Stiles in puzzlement. “How do you know about that?” she asked tentatively. “You weren’t there... and it was before we found your body.”

Stiles raised his eyes from his project and looked at her. “I’m observant.” he said simply. “Just like I know how Josh has considered breaking my neck six times in the past minute, Bonnie has already mumbled three fruitless spells, and Liam’s claws are digging into his fingers right now because every time Scott winces-” he dug his tweezers harshly into Scott’s leg to make a point, “-it hurts him too. And you can stop reaching for your guns, Sam. I swiped them from you when you fell to the floor.”

Sam collapsed against the floor in defeat.

“You’ve made your point, Stiles.” Derek said. “We’re outgunned.”

“No,” Stiles said, “You’re outsmarted.” He looked from Bonnie to Davina to Kai and Kol.

 

_Mystic Falls_

“She’s not picking up!” Jo muttered frantically as she paced back and forth, cell phone to her ear, five equally tense people tracing her every move. “Liv wouldn’t leave without telling me but she isn’t picking up!”

The phone rang...and rang... and rang... and rang... until finally Jo heard a telltale click.

“Hello?”

“Liv!” Jo exclaimed, sighing in relief as she put her phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table. “Where are you? Where have you been?”

“Uh....” Liv stammered, her previous voice of exhaustion giving way to one laden with guilt. “I’m in Portland.”  
Jo froze. “Portland?” she inquired lightly.

“Yeah, I’m at a hotel downtown.” Liv said softly.

“I see.” Jo said, eyes focused as she chose her words carefully. “And did you by any chance stop by a certain undisclosed location near Portland on your travels?”

Liv was silent.

“Liv?” Jo prompted, worry making her tone harsh.

“Well what was I supposed to do?” Liv all but snarled. “Getting shot by the sheriff of Beacon Hills wasn’t exactly on my list!”

Jo’s and Enzo’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Stiles is from Beacon Hills, California.” Tyler explained. “The sheriff is his father.”

“Tyler?” Liv’s disembodied voice asked with apprehension. Neither said anything else, the breakup still fresh in their minds.

“You followed Damon to Beacon Hills.” Stefan said to Liv. “Why?”

“I overheard his little phone call with my brother. He gave Damon an ultimatum to leave him alone or else he’d hurt your hunter friend. Naturally, Damon ignored him.” Liv said bitterly.

“So did you.” Jo said. “Liv, what did the coven say?”

Liv scoffed. “Kai’s technically the leader. They can’t do anything.”

“Or they won’t.” Enzo offered. “Because they’re scared of what he might do.”

“Well there’s one person who isn’t so scared of him anymore.”

Jo’s jaw dropped. “Liv,” she asked cautiously. “What the hell did you do?”

 

_New Orleans_

“Got it!” Stiles said with a triumphant grin, holding up the bullet causing so much of their troubles. Below him, Scott collapsed in relief, the wound in his knee finally able to close.

“I don’t understand.” Lydia murmured. Heads swiveled to her but she ignored them. “Why heal him? Why help any of us?”

“You’re right.” Stiles said, brushing himself off. “It doesn’t make much sense, does it? Nothing about this situation makes much sense.” He shot Matt a pointed look. “Kai, could I talk to you for a second?”

Kai walked over, and the pair made their way up the stairs and down the hall, far away from any supernatural hearing.

“What is it now, Stiles?” Kai asked with chargin.

“You tell me.” Stiles said cooly. “You’ve been fidgeting for the past five minutes. Do I wanna know why?”

“You’re too observant for your own good.” Kai said snidely.

“You’re right.” Stiles said. “And surely you’ve noticed that you aren’t in control of this situation any more. Look at us, we’re stalling. 15 prisoners and we have no clue what to do with them. Sooner or later, they’re going to stop being so docile. While Sam was an added bonus, it’s only a matter of time before he goes into self-sacrifice mode, and it’ll all be over from there. Kol is volatile and unpredictable, and soon we’ll have to do something drastic. We have some of the most powerful and well known supernaturals in the world imprisoned downstairs, fearing for their lives, and we are stuck, Kai. You said this plan would work.”

“It will.” Kai said reassuringly. “Everything’s falling into place.”

“You keep saying that.” Stiles said bitterly. “But I have no idea what you mean. First it’s to turn me into a weapon, then it’s to turn the Originals into your army- but wait, one’s dessicated, one’s psycho, and one’s missing- so now what?”

“You don’t want to know.” Kai said mischievously.

“No, I really do.” Stiles said dryly. “And that’s why you have a time limit. I told Matt everything he needed to know to take you down. You have until he figures it out to produce results. I didn’t betray all of my immensely powerful friends and give up my sanity on a whim.”

“It’s not a whim.” Kai said firmly. “It’s a plan.”

“That doesn’t reassure me.”

 

_Mystic Falls_

“Liv, what the hell did you do?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Liv said weakly, like she was already regretting her actions. “Because he already knew. He’s friends with some witches in New Orleans, you know. The Griffiths.”

“Joshua knows everyone.” Jo said solemnly, and everyone around her reacted strongly to the name of her father.

“Liv, are you insane?” Stefan practically scolded. “You told your dad where to find Kai? The guy’s unhinged and grieving! He’ll kill Stiles, and probably everyone else!”

“Funny you should say that, because last I checked, I’m also unhinged and grieving!” Liv shouted back. “It’s too much! This whole situation! It is so far over my head so you know what? Screw you! I went to get help!”

Liv’s angry tone had long tapered off into tears, and no one said a word.

“Vincent Griffith.” she finally said, with a husky tone. “Dad’s going to meet a witch down there named Vincent Griffith. He said he could help.”

Liv hung up with an angry sob, and the Mystic Falls stragglers were left in a stunned silence.

_New Orleans_

“Why doesn’t that reassure you?” Kai asked quizzically.

“Something’s not right about this situation.” Stiles said with gritted teeth. “I told Matt as much. Hell, something’s not right with you. By all logic, you shouldn’t be how you are now. You shouldn’t be thirsting for all of this revenge and justice. Which makes me wonder if you really are.”

“What do you mean?” Kai asked quickly, and instead of looking snide and smug, he was suddenly confused, even worried.

“The Ultimate Battle of Wits.” Stiles said. “I heard you muttering that, maybe a few hours before the party. It’s how you got me and Isaac to break, right, we each had to fight against our own heads. I knew from experience that it is impossible to win. But what if that isn’t it? What if there’s more to the story? What if everything, Elijah being missing, Kol possessing Isaac and making the dagger, the shapeshifter, Caroline’s humanity, my kidnapping, Sam being in New Orleans, and now you- maybe everything isn’t as random as we think. Maybe we haven’t been operating on dumb luck. Maybe your plan is flawed by design.”

“Maybe there’s more to the story.” Kai said, with wide, out of character eyes.  
Stiles contemplated this for a second. “We’re being played. I’m sure of it. You tampered with my soul, Kai. Ever consider the possibility that the same thing happened to you?”


End file.
